A new visitor attraction inspired by one of cruising’s most popular onboard trends has officially launched in the Scottish Highlands, with Invergordon introducing what is believed to be the UK’s first land-based cruise duck trail.
The new Invergordon Duck Trail transforms the town into an interactive experience for cruise passengers and other visitors, encouraging them to move beyond the port area and discover local businesses, cafés and attractions across the town centre.
Inspired by the growing global craze of cruise passengers hiding, swapping and photographing rubber ducks during voyages, the initiative aims to bring that same sense of fun and discovery ashore while increasing footfall for local businesses during the busy cruise season.
The project is being delivered by the Port of Cromarty Firth in partnership with Invergordon Off the Wall and Invergordon Museum.
Visitors can take part by following a trail of themed duck decals displayed in shop windows throughout Invergordon, with each duck linked to a participating business and featuring its own personality and story.
Explore The Town One Duck At A Time
The trail has been designed as a simple three-step experience for visitors arriving in port.
Guests begin by spotting duck decals placed across the High Street and town centre before scanning QR codes attached to each stop. Those QR codes provide information on both the duck’s design and the business itself, helping visitors discover local shops, attractions and services they may otherwise miss.
Visitors are then encouraged to track how many ducks they have discovered.
A total of 11 ducks currently form the launch trail, spread across businesses and organisations including Invergordon Museum, McRaes of Scotland, Clootie McToot Café, Bonnie Bhaji, Invergordon Gallery and several other locations.
All of the participating stops are located within easy walking distance of the Port of Cromarty Firth, making the attraction particularly accessible for passengers with limited time ashore.
The trail also connects with Invergordon’s established Mural Trail, allowing visitors to combine the duck hunt with a wider exploration of the town’s history, culture and public art.
Cruise Duck Craze Continues To Grow
Cruise ducks have become a major trend across the cruise industry in recent years, with passengers hiding small rubber ducks around ships for others to discover. The ducks often include tags identifying who hid them and where they travelled from, turning them into miniature travelling keepsakes that can cross multiple ships and destinations.
The Invergordon initiative takes that idea beyond the ship itself and applies it directly to a cruise destination, creating an interactive activity designed specifically for port visits.
As part of the programme, participating businesses will also sell branded souvenir ducks that visitors can purchase as keepsakes from their visit.
The collectible ducks have been made using 50% wheat material as part of a sustainability focus, and £1 from every duck sold will be donated to the Port of Cromarty Firth’s community fund to support local projects.
Organisers say the wider aim is to create a memorable and shareable visitor experience while also delivering longer-term benefits to the local community.
With cruise tourism continuing to play an important role for Invergordon, the trail could offer a new way for passengers to spend time ashore while helping local businesses capture more of the economic impact from visiting ships.
Anyone interested should visit the website at invergordonducktrail.co.uk
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