Draw liners

I read with interest Brian Weddell’s letter on cruise liners and tourism (Letters, 19 March) and could not agree more that there is huge potential in attracting cruise liner passengers to Scotland, specifically Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders.

I would just like to point out, however, that here in Queensferry we are capable of handling the largest of these liners which anchor in the shadow of the Forth Bridge on a fairly regular basis throughout the summer months: this year there are 26 such liners scheduled to call here.

We have our limitations, however, as passengers and crew have to be shipped ashore on tenders and disembarked on the Hawes Pier. In addition, parking and traffic management is, to say the least, challenging, but we cope. I believe that with adequate investment the facilities here could be improved thus giving the thousands of visitors each year a much better experience. Such improvements would also, and equally importantly, make life better for many of our long-suffering residents and the many visitors who arrive here by other means.

DAVID M STEEL Springfield Terrace South Queensferry