Two cruise ships bring thousands of visitors on sunny May Day 

Cruise ships Viking Venus and Rotterdam, and Polish training ship Dar Mlodzeizy, as seen from Fort Charlotte. Photo: Jim Mullay. 

Lerwick has been bustling with tourists after two cruise ships called on one of the busiest days of the bumper season so far.

Regular visitor Viking Venus was joined by Rotterdam in the harbour today (Wednesday) bringing thousands of passengers.

The 300-metre Rotterdam is one of the larger cruise ships scheduled for the season. She is carrying 2,743 passengers, mainly from the Netherlands and America.,

The double visit follows a maiden call from another giant on Sunday – the 330-metre Regal Princess.

She is carrying 3,277 passengers on a tour around the British Isles.

Tomorrow sees the arrival of the 219-metre Renaissance carrying 555 mainly French passengers.

In total, 149 cruise ships are scheduled to visit this season bringing around 130,000 passengers.

May is one of the busiest months with several maiden calls, including the largest cruise ship yet to visit – the 332-metre Virtuosa.

She has a maximum capacity in excess of 6,000 passengers and is scheduled to call the Saturday after next.