Scrabster Harbour (Caithness)
The NDA helped financial contribution helped Scrabster Harbour Trust secure additional funding from other sources to invest £20 million in developing its facilities.
Since 2010, the NDA has been supporting the development of Scrabster Harbour, near Dounreay. The NDA’s financial contribution helped Scrabster Harbour Trust secure additional funding from other sources to invest £20 million in developing its facilities. A new round of development is starting in 2020, with the development of the St Ola Pier.
The NDA has worked together with Scrabster Harbour Trust, Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and Scottish Government on this development.
The investment has helped to secure a number of outcomes including:
- record revenues for the Harbour Trust in each of the last 3 financial years
- 68% growth in commercial vessel tonnage since 2013
- record oil and gas related vessel activity and tonnage in 2016-17
- involvement in nationally significant projects such as the first tidal energy development in the Pentland Firth
- greater economic impacts on the local and regional economy
- the harbour supports over 400 full-time equivalent jobs compared to 339 in 2009
- the Gross Value Added (GVA is the additional value created within Caithness as reflected in wages to employees and profits to company owners) to the Caithness economy is measured at £25 million in 2018 compared to £14.6 million in 2009
- the gross wages/salaries associated with activities supported at the harbour rose from £6.2 million in 2009 to £10.3 million in 2018
- total output of the harbour has risen to £48.2 million.
The NDA’s initial investment supported redevelopment of an old fishing pier into the Jubilee Quay which provides increased quayside space, improved access, heavy lift facilities and services required by the oil and gas sector and the needs of other commercial vessels. The combination of improved infrastructure and close proximity to installations west of Shetland provides oil and gas operators with a fast turnaround option, saving time and money.
Earlier in 2017, the NDA and Scottish Government contributed £685,000 towards a £1 million plant providing ice for fishing boats to protect the quality of their catches. The energy efficient plant replaces an old one that closed after operating for 30 years, and ensures a reliable, fit for purpose supply of ice which is essential to maintaining Scrabster as a key fishing centre.
Current plans include:
- creation of a business/industrial park near the harbour
- redevelopment of a further deep-water pier, St Ola, which will target the energy and cruise ship markets
- seabed reclamation south of the main harbour to create additional storage space or industrial land.
The plans are aimed at connecting local businesses to future opportunities and attracting new investment in the area. Scrabster has become a key economic hub in the north of Scotland.