Ferry between Scotland and Europe returns

ROSYTH, Scotland, May 19 (UPI) -- Ferry service between Scotland and the continent resumed Tuesday with the Scottish Viking arriving one-third full and more than two hours late, observers said.

The service, formerly operated by a Greek company, Superfast, is now in the hands of Norfolkline, a subsidiary of the Danish A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, The Scotsman reported. The ferry is to travel three times a week between Zeebrugge, Belgium, and Rosyth, a port 10 miles west of Edinburgh on the Firth of Forth.

First Minister Alex Salmond welcomed the ship at Rosyth, the report said. He said he expected the new operator to do better than Superfast because its vessel burns less fuel and is designed more as a freight carrier than a passenger ship.

The company has also received a $2.7 million subsidy from the Scottish government for taking truck traffic off the roads.

The ferry arrived late because the captain had a heart attack in Zeebrugge, forcing the company to make a last-minute substitution.

Superfast operated the route for six years before suspending service in September.