The start of work on Stena Line's £200 million Loch Ryan terminal was jointly announced in Edinburgh on 10 February by Scotland's first minister Alec Salmond and Stena group chairman Dan Sten Olsson.

Located at Old House Point, closer to the mouth of the loch, it is to replace Stranraer as the terminal for services to Belfast and will reduce both crossing times and operating costs. Construction work is expected to last 20 months, create 900 jobs, and safeguard the future of a further 500 ferry staff.

Stena first talked of leaving Stranraer as far back as 2003 and had discussions about a joint development of P&O Ferries' Cairnryan base on the opposite side of Loch Ryan before the idea was dropped in 2007 due to costs.

At present Stena serve Stranraer and Belfast with the HSS 1500 Stena Voyager and conventional ferries Stena Caledonia and Stena Navigator (ex-SeaFrance Manet), which came in last November. Stena are now talking of bringing in two fast conventional ferries.  Russell Plummer