Majestic Line is set to grow

A cruise line which began life as a few scribbled notes on the back of a beer mat is hoping to expand its fleet to as many as five vessels, after being named Entrepreneur of the Year at the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards.
The Majestic Line’s two boats, Glen Tarsan (above) and Glen Massan, are converted fishing trawlers carrying just 11 passengers each.
The business – named from an episode of TV comedy series Para Handy – began when Andy Thoms and Ken Grant read an article about the decommissioning of the Scottish fishing fleet and the break-up of traditional fishing vessels.
They hatched a plan to convert them into mini-cruise vessels, although they admit today that if the beer mat had been any bigger and they’d had room to catalogue some of the risks involved, the idea may never have got off the ground.
Andy Thoms said: “Our vision was to introduce people to the fabulous scenery and food of Argyll with our crew providing genuine, warm Scottish hospitality. The atmosphere on board is informal and fun; the majority of our first-time guests have never been to Scotland before and many are overwhelmed by the experience. Some have returned as often as eight times to cruise with us again.”
The main ambition now is to take advantage of a clear niche in the tourism marketplace and build the third vessel and ultimately aim for a fleet of five. Recycling a trawler is now not an option as they are no longer available; the company is planning to provide a Scottish boatyard with an order for a new boat and is actively seeking finance.
Judges in the tourism awards said: “The Majestic Line was awarded top marks for every criterion in this category and was chosen because of the scale and originality of its endeavour. What caught the judges’ imagination was the scale and audacity of the entrepreneurship improving year on year as the business develops, adapts and innovates.”