DUNFERMLINE is proving a popular destination for cruise ship passengers with more than 300 touring the "treasures" of the town over two days last week.

And Cruise Forth volunteers, who met and transported visitors from the Fred Olsen Black Watch on Friday, helped to add extra value with a guided walk around our historic attractions.

They teamed up with the newly-recruited Dunfermline Town Ambassadors, who gave their unique Welcome Walk around Dunfermline's Heritage Quarter for the passengers.

Peter Wilson, project manager for Cruise Forth, said: “The Cruise Forth welcome volunteers have always received great feedback from visitors to Dunfermline but our service stops when we drop them off in James Street.

"Having the involvement of the Dunfermline Town Ambassadors clearly added a lot of value to the experience."

Around 200 passengers and crew from the Black Watch cruise ship were brought to Dunfermline on courtesy buses, where they were welcomed by the ambassadors, who then introduced them to the town and its many fascinating stories.

Mark Macleod, project manager for Fife Cultural Trust, said: “We have trained 13 volunteers to become town ambassadors and they provide a free Welcome Walk, Monday to Saturday, at 10.30am from the High Street. "Meeting the cruise ship passengers on Friday provided the ambassadors great experience.

"Sharing the treasures of Dunfermline is a joy and they were left with a satisfying glow on Friday having met visitors from Liverpool, Derbyshire and Norway, to name a few.”

One visitor, writing on the Cruise Forth website, praised the initiative and "this fascinating and undersold gem of a city".

Another 100 passengers, who were on board the Pacific Princess, also visited Dunfermline last week.

The Cruise Forth project was launched in 2011 and has more than 50 volunteers working across the four ports for Edinburgh – Rosyth, South Queensferry, Leith and Newhaven.

Through funding from Fife Council, Forth Ports Ltd and other partners, the project provides a courtesy bus to Dunfermline for cruise ships calling at Rosyth.

The town ambassadors are trained volunteers under a project called Dunfermline Digital Tours.

Funded by Scottish Enterprise, it will deliver six digital tours created around the town for people to enjoy any time of the day.