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The total number of boxes landed during the week was 8,804 from 24 vessels, of which 6,064 were consigned from 13 vessels.  There were 2,740 boxes through the market from 11 vessels. The following vessels berthed during the week: 10/10/2015        The tanker “Vadero Highlander” arrived in port from Immingham to discharge oil products.  She sailed on […]

The total number of boxes landed during the week was 8,804 from 24 vessels, of which 6,064 were consigned from 13 vessels.  There were 2,740 boxes through the market from 11 vessels.

The following vessels berthed during the week:

10/10/2015        The tanker “Vadero Highlander” arrived in port from Immingham to discharge oil products.  She sailed on Monday.

10/10/2015        The oil supply vessel “Olympic Challenger” arrived in the bay to drop off a crew man.  The crew man was collected by the pilot boat Highlanders.

13/10/2015        The “Lomur” (previously named Ruby) to unload her weekly fish cargo.  She sailed for Torshaven the next day.

14/10/15            The oil supply vessel “Caledonian Vanguard” berthed on Wednesday to collect a container.

14/10/15            The coaster cargo vessel “Arklow Fern” berthed for fuel on Wednesday.

14/10/15            The cargo vessel “Islay Trader” arrived from Kilroot to discharge road salt.  She sailed today.

Scrabster Harbour (Scrabster) celebrates a successful first six months of the 2015 financial year whilst looking forward to its 175th anniversary in 2016. The harbour, which is Scotland’s most northerly mainland commercial port caters for a range of sectors including oil and gas, renewables, cruise and ferries, cargo and fishing. Scrabster Harbour Trust, which operates […]

Scrabster Harbour (Scrabster) celebrates a successful first six months of the 2015 financial year whilst looking forward to its 175^th anniversary in 2016.

The harbour, which is Scotland’s most northerly mainland commercial port caters for a range of sectors including oil and gas, renewables, cruise and ferries, cargo and fishing.

Scrabster Harbour Trust, which operates the port, recently held its annual general meeting where attendees learned of an upturn in activity for the first half of the year which included record tonnage levels in the month of July. Throughout the months of April to September Scrabster recorded a total of 1,134 vessel arrivals, an increase of 1.7% on the previous year due to an increase in oil and gas and renewable related activity. Shipping tonnage was up 3.6% on last year with energy related tonnage totalling 369,000 tonnes, an outstanding growth of 89% on the first six months of 2014-15.

Sandy Mackie, Trust Manager for Scrabster Harbour said: “We had a very successful trading year in 2014-15 with record port revenues being achieved. It is encouraging that in the first half of 2015-16 overall activity levels have been maintained. Our revenues for the half year are on target and financial performance is ahead of budget.”

Fishing activity at the harbour has also remained steady despite recent changes to legislation and it remains one of the top landing ports in the UK, landing whitefish and shellfish, including brown crab, lobsters, prawns and scallops.

Sandy added: “The financial figures show a solid foundation to another successful year. Next year will be a significant milestone for Scrabster Harbour as it celebrates 175 years since the formation of the port. It will also be the year the first tidal turbines are deployed in the Pentland Firth.”

Renewable tonnage at the port totalled 18,912 tonnes which is a 23 fold increase on the year of 2014.

Another sector using the port more is cruise and ferries increasing passenger numbers on the roll on/roll off service between Scrabster and Stromness by 4% to 89,712 and cruise users totalled 3,247 up 45% compared to the 2014 season. This continued to be Scrabster’s largest revenue stream. Whereas, general cargo operations have decreased reflecting an absence of timber transportation due to the strong pound affecting continental markets.

Sandy commented that the Trust is happy with the overall performance of the port in the first half of the 2015-16 financial year.

“Overall we are happy with the financial figures and results, however, we are not complacent and we are acutely conscious of the economic challenges currently affecting important sectors such as fishing and oil and gas. We will continue to promote Scrabster as a multi-purpose port in both Caithness and the North of Scotland”, he said.

The total number of boxes landed during the week was 4,568 from 15 vessels, of which 1,304 were consigned from 3 vessels.  There were 3,264 boxes through the market from  12 vessels. Among other vessel arrivals during the week were:  04/10/2015         The “Vadero Highlander” arrived in Port from Leith to discharge oil cargo. 05/10/2015         The […]

The total number of boxes landed during the week was 4,568 from 15 vessels, of which 1,304 were consigned from 3 vessels.  There were 3,264 boxes through the market from  12 vessels.

Among other vessel arrivals during the week were:

 04/10/2015         The “Vadero Highlander” arrived in Port from Leith to discharge oil cargo.

05/10/2015         The “Troms Capella” arrived in Port from UKCS to load containers of oil related equipment.

05/10/2015         The “CEG Cosmos” arrived in Port from Inverness to load log cargo.

05/10/2015         The “Advance” arrived in Port from Gills to berth from the weather .  She is a 14m catamaran and has been carrying out ROV work in Gills Bay.

07/10/2015         The “Ruby” arrived in Port from Runavik to unload her weekly fish cargo.

08/10/2015         The “Victress” arrived in Port from Kilroot with road salt.

The Trust held its Annual General Meeting on Friday 2nd October 2015. The Meeting endorsed the re-appointment of Tom Pottinger and appointment of William Thomson as board members. The 2014-15 financial statements and annual report are now available as downloads. Both documents can be accessed via Downloads part of the About Us section of the […]

The Trust held its Annual General Meeting on Friday 2nd October 2015.

The Meeting endorsed the re-appointment of Tom Pottinger and appointment of William Thomson as board members.

The 2014-15 financial statements and annual report are now available as downloads. Both documents can be accessed via Downloads part of the About Us section of the website.

Fishing: The total number of boxes landed during the week was 6,300 from 13 vessels, of which 3,320 were consigned from 5 vessels which includes one Faroese landing of 660 boxes.  There were 2,980 boxes through the market from  8 vessels. Other Vessel arrivals included  25/09/2015         The “Normand Aurora” arrived in Port from Aberdeen to […]

Fishing: The total number of boxes landed during the week was 6,300 from 13 vessels, of which 3,320 were consigned from 5 vessels which includes one Faroese landing of 660 boxes.  There were 2,980 boxes through the market from  8 vessels.

Other Vessel arrivals included

 25/09/2015         The “Normand Aurora” arrived in Port from Aberdeen to pick up oil related cargo.

29/09/2015         The “Wood Spirit” arrived in Port from Aberdeen to discharge fuel.

29/09/2015         The “Ruby” arrived in Port from Runavik to unload her weekly fish cargo.

01/10/2015         The “Green Isle” arrived in Port from Kirkwall unloading a “GM 700” barge.

Scotland’s most northerly mainland commercial port, Scrabster Harbour, has said bon voyage to its last scheduled cruise ship of the 2015 season. The harbour, which is a multi-purpose port based in Caithness, welcomed six cruise ships throughout the summer bringing in passenger numbers of more than 3,200 to the area. Amadea, a 29,008 tonne cruise […]

Scotland’s most northerly mainland commercial port, Scrabster Harbour, has said bon voyage to its last scheduled cruise ship of the 2015 season.

The harbour, which is a multi-purpose port based in Caithness, welcomed six cruise ships throughout the summer bringing in passenger numbers of more than 3,200 to the area. Amadea, a 29,008 tonne cruise ship arrived in the harbour on September 8^th from Reykjavik, Iceland with 576 visitors eager to visit the north of Scotland before leaving for Bremerhaven, Germany the next day.

It is now a decade since Scrabster made the strategic decision to market the port and local area as a cruise destination. This strategy has seen more than 23,000 cruise passengers arrive at Scrabster since 2006.

Scrabster’s location offers a competitive advantage to a range of sectors including oil and gas, renewables, fishing, cargo and the cruise and ferry industry. The harbour has excellent facilities due to the port development with cruise ships up to 180 metres and 8 metres draft berthing alongside, while larger vessels use the deep water anchorage available within 0.2 nautical miles.

Sandy Mackie, Trust Manager for Scrabster Harbour, said: “Scrabster is a regular port of call for visiting cruise ships and we were delighted to see the increase in passenger numbers this year. Over the past decade we have managed to attract visitors equivalent to three times the population of the local Thurso area. We have had a very busy summer period with passengers on the daily ferry link to Orkney increasing by 3% over the peak season.”

Scrabster Harbour has gone from strength to strength this year with record revenues and vessel tonnage. The port now has 10 cruise vessel reservations for next year, which could bring passenger numbers of more than 5,000 to the Caithness area with Fred Olsen’s Boudicca being the first scheduled liner of the season next April.

Sandy added: “The increase in bookings for 2016 is not only fantastic for the port but beneficial for the surrounding areas as well.”

Some of the attractions in the region include Castle Mey, Caithness Horizons and the Pulteney Distillery which is the most northerly whisky distillery in Scotland.

Beki Pope, Manager of Caithness Horizons said: “Caithness Horizons Museum always enjoys working with the cruise ship visitors to enhance their visit to the Caithness area. We are looking forward to working with Scrabster Harbour to welcome more cruise visitors in 2016”.

Scotland’s most northerly mainland commercial port, Scrabster Harbour, has seen more than a 100% increase in its oil and gas vessel tonnage, boosting traffic levels by 52%. The harbour, which is a multi-purpose port based in Caithness, has seen an increase in vessel arrivals for the first quarter, compared to figures in 2014. Its oil […]

Scotland’s most northerly mainland commercial port, Scrabster Harbour, has seen more than a 100% increase in its oil and gas vessel tonnage, boosting traffic levels by 52%.

The harbour, which is a multi-purpose port based in Caithness, has seen an increase in vessel arrivals for the first quarter, compared to figures in 2014. Its oil and gas vessel arrivals have been recorded at 19, with vessel tonnage of 123,130 tonnes for the month of July, surpassing all previous records at the port.

Sandy Mackie, Trust Manager for Scrabster Harbour, said: “The growth in energy related traffic shows that Scrabster Harbour is ideally placed for oil and gas vessels. As the closest mainland port for oil and gas activity off the west of Shetland, and many installations in the northern North Sea, we offer huge benefits to existing and potential clients.”

One of the recent arrivals at the harbour included the 11,600 tonne well intervention vessel the Island Constructor which is working on contract for BP. Mobilisation works on this ship allowed businesses from across the area to capitalise on the project while the vessel was berthed. Scrabster Harbour assisted the vessel with taking on water, stores and bunkers, engineering works, crane hire, haulage, transport for crew members and waste services.

The increased activity at the port has included project related vessel mobilisations, crew changes and supply vessel activity to support North Sea operations.

Sandy Mackie added: “The berthing of vessels such as the Island Constructor highlights the advantage of Scrabster’s proximity and the ability to handle operations such as this. We are delighted at achieving a record month in oil and gas vessel tonnage and hope that this continues to grow.

We have had great feedback from our clients who described the level of service and control of logistics at Scrabster Harbour as ‘extraordinary’.”

The increasing number of crew changes has also contributed to the reported growth in passenger numbers at the nearby Wick John O’Groats airport with personnel arriving at Wick by either aeroplane or helicopter. This is supported by local firm Far North Aviation.