Port Development

There has been significant reinvestment made in the harbour over the last 10 years to improve the facilities offered to clients. To date, £35 million has been spent since 2001. The most recent projects include the creation of the new Jubilee Quay in 2013 and the acquisition of a new workboat the Highlanders in 2014.

 

 

 

Background

Scrabster Harbour Trust was established by Act of Parliament in 1841. As a Trust Port all profits are reinvested in the maintenance and development of the harbour.

In 2008 Scrabster Harbour Trust set out an ambitious programme of port infrastructure development. The first stages of the programme, the £17.6 million redevelopment of the Old Fishmarket Pier to create the new Jubilee Quay, was completed in June 2013. The current programme sets out a succession of projects each building and complementing other parts of the programme. This will create infrastructure and expand capacity providing business opportunities for the Caithness and North Sutherland economy. Investment in ports assets has totalled £19.9 million over the past ten years.

Projects

The current development programme comprises the following projects:

Phase 1 – Development of the 32 acre Enterprise Area at Scrabster Mains.

Phase 2 – Redevelopment of the St Ola Pier to create modern deep-water harbour infrastructure.

Phase 3 – Seabed reclamation works to create laydown/industrial space to the south of the harbour.

All the projects are primarily focussed on:

• Marine renewables support, working alongside an OEM.
• The creation of an oil and gas primary supply base alongside a business partner.
• Retention of existing port activity and employment. An independent economic impact assessment in 2008 assessed that the existence of Scrabster generated 336 FTES.

The Scrabster programme aligns with the Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership Vision for Caithness and North Sutherland to become a centre for marine renewable energy and a service hub for the oil and gas industry in the West of Shetland area.

Further development of Scrabster provides the following opportunities:

• Establishes Scrabster Harbour as a supply base for the oil and gas sector.
• Connects local companies to opportunities from the wave and tidal industry in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters.
• Attracts companies focussed on offshore wind, wave and tidal development and production to locate in the area.
•  Creates additional commercial opportunities in the marine sector including R&D, capital build programmes, infrastructure development, offshore and near shore development and engineering requirements.