For the better part of six months, Edinburgh resident Elaine Dick has been confronted with a 212-metre-long red-and-white Tasmanian ferry every time she looks out her living room window. The Spirit of Tasmania IV has been docked at the nearby port of Leith since December – initially costing taxpayers around $47,000 a week – because the Tasmanian government did not build a dock big enough to support it.
In Tasmania, the saga has been labeled an “international embarrassment” by the state opposition. In Edinburgh, it’s become “a huge talking point” with many having “a wry chuckle” at Australia’s expense. Elaine Dick, co-chair of the Leith Harbour and Newhaven community council in Edinburgh, said the local community is “a bit bemused by the whole thing.” Ian Stirling, who founded a whiskey distillery next to where the Spirit of Tasmania is docked, stated that the ship has delivered patrons, with a side of political drama. Scotland is familiar with costly ferry procurements leading to political headaches, with their own ferry project running seven years late and facing criticism.
The Tasmanian government expected a new port to be completed in August 2024, but it is now expected to be finished by late 2026 or early 2027. Spirit IV was moved from Finland to Scotland at the start of winter due to concerns of pack ice in the Baltic Sea. The state government is currently awaiting more details on a new expected departure date
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jun/09/spirit-of-tasmania-ferry-stranded-leith-scotland-jeremy-rockliff-tourist-attraction
