The 1997 figure of 4.4 million tonnes is slightly more than the previous ten years' annual average of 4.2 million tonnes. 2.3 Exports through Scottish ports fell from just over 76 million tonnes in 1987 to about 45 million tonnes in 1989 then rose back to around 76 million tonnes in 1994 before falling again to some 58 million tonnes in 1997. While seven ports were counted as major ports in 1995 and 1996, there were eight in 1997, and so the figures for 1997 are not directly comparable with those for earlier years. During the past ten years, the total fell to about 94 million tonnes in 1989, and remained around that level for a few years before rising back to roughly 127 million tonnes in 1995. The levels of imports, and incoming domestic freight, are much lower.
Bulk fuel accounts for over three quarters of the cargo.
The east coast ports accounted for most of the domestic traffic and for most of the foreign traffic, both incoming and outgoing. About 11.6 million tonnes of freight were lifted in Scotland and carried on inland waterways in 1997. Over the past ten years the total has remained between 10 and 12 million tonnes, with most of it being carried on the Forth. The changes over the past ten years in Caledonian MacBrayne's figures were affected greatly by the withdrawal of the Kyle-Kyleakin service in 1995, when the Skye Bridge opened. For example, total passenger numbers fell from 5.4 million in 1988 to 4.8 million in 1998.