Scrabster harbour has set out a tendering process for major new works at the harbour. The procurement notice sets out what is required from tendering companies for the multi-million pound contract.
The big offshore construction vessel Seabed Stingray (8,878 tonnes) arrived in the Pentland Firth's Inner Sound from the Cromarty Firth's Nigg Energy Park around 07:00 on Monday (15.10.18) morning with a very special cargo on board. The 121 metre-long vessel was in the narrow strait between Gills Bay and Stroma Island to replace two of the four 'pioneering' tidal turbines that had been lifted out from SIMEC Atlantis Energy's MeyGen site last Summer for inspection and modification at Nigg.
Picture by Gills Harbour Ltd's Hon Sec Lyall Rennie, of Lower Warse, Canisbay KW1 4YB shows the busy Pentalina ferry in foreground approaching the harbour and passing by the heavy offshore construction vessel Viking Neptun. Deployed on Friday 20th July to recover two Andrtiz 1.5 MW turbines for warranty repairs from the Pentland Firth's Inner Sound from SIMEC Atlantis Energy plc's seabed lease, known as the MeyGen site, just off Gills Bay ( just over 1 NM) in NE Caithness.
Since the news came out in the John O'Groat Journal that Stage coach are to change bus services for Gills and John O'Groats protests have been getting louder. the proposed bus timetable changes from 20th August which effectively abolish the direct route from Wick to John o'Groats and Gills.
Gills Harbour Ltd, the community body that owns and runs Gills Harbour on Caithness's North Coast, has a new office-bearer. At its recent Annual General Meeting, Mr Mark Gibson of Northern View, John O'Groats KW1 4YS, was unanimously appointed as the body's Vice-Chairman.
OFFICIAL FIGURES SHOW MORE PEOPLE AND CARS SAILED ACROSS THE PENTLAND FIRTH FROM CAITHNESS TO ORKNEY IN 2016 FROM GILLS BAY THAN ON ANY OTHER ROUTE. Official figures recently published by Scottish Government 'spending watchdog' body Audit Scotland show that the so-called 'short sea-route' from Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope was the busiest seaway to Orkney across the Pentland Firth in 2016.
Wick Lifeboat called out by Shetland Coastguard at 09:35 this morning to go to the aid of a cargo vessel 'Jomi', half a mile offshore in Sinclair's Bay, Caithness. They had reported dragging its anchor in the Easterly swell and unable to get its engine started.
Scrabster and Lossiemouth harbours have secured funding through the Highland & Moray Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) to install new pontoons to cater for the increasing demand for berthing space. Lossiemouth also received funding towards an innovative dredging system to allow regular dredging to be carried out ensuring the pontoons will be accessible at all times.
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Today at Wick Harbour 'Rix Lynx'could be seen tied up. Wick Harbour is fast becoming a hive of activity with the work now well underway at the former Steven's yard.
Caithness Seacoast Adventure Tours loacated at Wick harbour have started their new season. Seacoast offers a range of short and longer tours of the Caithness coast opens up a special way to see the cliffs that cannot be seen from most places.
One of the contractors that has been operating in the Inner Sound for Atlantis RL's MeyGen site has been taken over by another, a much-larger one. See note on Insight Marine Services Ltd of Cornwall.
Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Limited (BOWL) has begun renovating its new home in Wick with the help of a neighbour. Two buildings in Lower Pulteneytown are being redeveloped into the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) base for the £2.6bn Beatrice offshore wind farm project.
Notice of Annual General Meeting: On Tuesday 21.03.2017 @ 19.30. Gills Harbour Ltd: A Community- owned trading Company limited by guarantee.
Scrabster Harbour has launched its marketing campaign to promote Caithness as a cruise destination to the global cruise industry. The campaign, which will feature a staged marketing approach, will ensure relevant information is delivered at the critical points during the decision making process, and before and after cruise industry events.
Jack-up barge Neptune arrives in the PF's Inner Sound early this afternoon 22.09.16. German tug Elbe, which will be working closely with the self-propelled JU, is already on site.
Update From Bill Mowatt. 'Notice to mariners': Installation of first tidal-stream turbine in the Pentland Firth's Inner Sound at Atlantis RL's MeyGen site c.
Public Engagement Event - Wick - 14 September 2016 4pm to 7pm at Mackays Hotel. On the 23rd May 2016, Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (BOWL) announced that the green light had been given for construction of the 588MW, 84 turbine Beatrice offshore wind farm situated in the Outer Moray Firth.
On Friday 18th September 2015 the 24 metre-long rectangular steel multi-cat C-Chariot built in 2013 was to be seen loading a Data-fish buoy at Gills Harbour, Caithness. North Sea systems Ltd who own the Datafish describe it on their web site (http://www.northseasystems.com/) as follows - "DataFish is North Sea System's metocean survey buoy for unforgiving marine environments.