A Skipton cruise business will soon mark its tenth anniversary since converting a car ferry into a luxury yacht.

Hebridean Island Cruises launched its boat, the Hebridean Princess, after spending £6.5 million on transforming the former car ferry.

Now the boat runs luxury cruises around the Scottish isles and Scandinavia from March to November.

Marketing director Candida Hubbard said: "People thought it was mad when the company first started. Running cruises around rainy Scotland from land-locked Skipton was a bit mind-blowing.

"But when people step on board they fall in love and around 45 per cent of our business is from repeat bookings."

The idea for the business was hatched by Tony and Susan Binns while they were stranded in a yacht during a storm off the Isle of Rhum.

The couple bought the ferry, which had run between Oban and the island of Mull as the MV Columba, and transformed it with luxury cabins, sun decks, a library and conservatory.

It now carries 49 passengers instead of 600, who are catered for by five gourmet chefs.

Mr and Mrs Binns, who had previously run a canal-cruise firm in Skipton, sold the business earlier this year to Altnamara Shipping and Gallic Shipping.

But most of the dozen employees have remained at the firm's head office in Acorn Park.

Hebridean Island Cruises has an annual turnover of around £6 million. A night spent on board the Hebridean Princess costs from £150 to £1,000 a night.

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