Grangemouth, Scotland's biggest port, is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the UK's first container ship call with a further £8 million programme to enhance its infrastructure and equipment.

On 7 May 1966, the Sea-land freight service called at Grangemouth on its Europe–America route, carrying mainly Scotch whisky bound for the United States. Grangemouth was the only UK stop on the rotation, making its container terminal the first in the country to handle goods in this way and heralding the global rise of containerisation.

Sea-land launched its transatlantic all-container service in April 1966 with four ships, each able to carry 226 containers loaded with items such as cameras, safety razors and prefabricated housing components. The weekly service linked Port Elizabeth, New Jersey, and Baltimore, Maryland, with Rotterdam, Bremen and Grangemouth.

In the six decades since, sustained investment has transformed Grangemouth into Scotland's leading container port and logistics hub. The site spans 402 acres, employs 280 people and hosts 32 on-port businesses. A multimodal facility with a strong export focus, the terminal has handled more than 4.2 million containers since 1966 and now processes goods worth over £6 billion annually, including food and drink, construction materials and renewables.

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To mark the milestone, the port plans a community open day and is partnering with local schools on a project for young people to help name its new harbour crane.

Derek Knox, Regional Director, Scotland said: "This is a significant milestone in the history of the port of Grangemouth. Over the past 60 years the port has changed and adapted to meet the changing needs of our customers and markets through investment in not only our infrastructure and equipment, but in our skills. Grangemouth has grown to become Scotland's largest container port and logistics hub and makes a major contribution to the economy of Scotland. We look forward to continuing to play our part in Scotland's success for the next 60 years!"

Craig Torrance, Asset Manager for the Port of Grangemouth said: "Grangemouth has changed significantly over the past 60 years from the size of vessels, a move to more sustainable handling equipment, health & safety priorities and people skills. A stevedore from 60 years ago would not recognise the port of today although some things have not changed, we still maintain the same customer focus that we did all those years ago and we still export a lot of whisky from Grangemouth!"

Putting 1966 in context: the BBC began broadcasting in colour; Harold Wilson was Prime Minister; the UK's first credit card was introduced; the Beatles played their last UK concert; James Bond film Thunderball topped the box office; Manfred Mann's Pretty Flamingo was number one on 7 May; and England won the football World Cup.