A new direct ferry route will take holidaymakers from the UK to a historic French city this year

It will depart from Rosyth, situated roughly half an hour from Edinburgh, to the French port city of Dunkirk.

This will be welcomed by slow travel enthusiasts who love taking the scenic route rather than rushing through airports.

It will give holidaymakers a more relaxed means of getting there, swapping a two-hour flight for a leisurely 20-hour ferry.

Holidaymakers often visit Dunkirk to experience history, art and its vibrant culture, and Britons can also easily travel there with DFDS ferries from Dover.

The project, known as 'Project Brave', has been in development since 2022 and could set sail as early as this spring. The ferry would operate three times weekly, with each crossing taking a full 20 hours from port to port.

That makes it one of the longest ferry routes anywhere in Europe - only the Portsmouth to Bilbao service is higher, clocking in at between 27 and 30 hours.

Initially, the service would have capacity for around 51,000 passengers annually, though it could increase to 79,000 further down the line. MPs stated the route could deliver an £11.5million boost to the Scottish economy, which is significant for a single ferry service.

Scottish MP Graeme Downie has been championing the project, describing it as "an incredible boon for the Dunfermline and Scottish economy" that would make trade easier while helping Europeans visit the Kingdom of Fife.

"These matters can be complex, but we have taken a huge stride towards making this ferry service a reality," he previously said.

The project was originally planned for spring 2025, but it faced delays due to funding issues and the need for a new border control facility to process certain goods.

Officials are now working to remove that requirement entirely, though Downie noted "a small amount of infrastructure is needed at the Port of Rosyth" before everything's ready to go.

This wouldn't be Scotland's first direct ferry link to the continent. A service previously ran between Rosyth and Zeebrugge in Belgium, operating four times a week with a 17-hour crossing time, but it ended as a passenger route back in 2010.