Dock restoration

RESTORATION TO BEGIN ON HISTORIC DOCKS

Work is due to begin on restoring the Govan Graving Docks on the River Clyde in Scotland after being closed for more than 34 years

The docks, built in the late 19th century by the Clyde Navigation Trust, accommodated some of the largest ships in the world in their heyday, and were used for repairs and refi ts of Clyde steamers.

Since they were closed in 1987 they have remained unused.

Now, feasibility studies have been carried out by the company leading the restoration, Govan Drydock, which has secured a licence to operate the number one dock for ship repairs and maintenance.

The docks, built in the late 19th century by the Clyde Navigation Trust, accommodated ‘‘ some of the largest ships in the world in their heyday, and were used for repairs and refits of Clyde steamers

The Clyde Docks Preservation Initiative (CDPI), which protects and promotes the maritime heritage of the river, has welcomed the project and has set up the Govan Docks Regeneration Trust to spread awareness about the three docks.

“We call on all public sector agencies: Scottish Enterprise, Glasgow City Council, the Scottish government, as well as potential investors, to get fully behind this project to help ensure it is a success and able to further expand into the other two dry docks at Govan in the future, as a state of the art, sustainable maritime facility and community hub,” the CDPI says.

The charity says the three dry docks are ‘an outstanding graving dock complex without parallel in Scotland’.

Built from grey granite, some of which was hand carved, the dock is the only one on the Upper Clyde that has not been filled in for modern developments, says the charity.

8 Govan Graving

Docks, abandoned since 1987

New deep water terminal announced for remote islands

A new multi-purpose deep water terminal is to be built at the Outer Hebrides’ main port in a project ‘which has the potential to truly transform the economy’.

It will provide a berth for vessels up to 360m long with a depth of 10m below the ferry berth of Chart Datum, along with 6.5 hectares of land for unloading, storage and industrial uses, says the Stornoway Port Authority.

It will also have a freight ferry berth and a heavy lift slab at the quayside.

Stornoway is on island of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides archipelago, just off the northwest coast of Scotland, and the largest town on the islands.

“Our consultations show a strong demand from the energy, transport and cruise industries to bring larger vessels in Stornoway

8 Local civil engineers McLaughlin & Harvey

have been awarded the contract to build a new deep water terminal at the Outer Hebrides

and for adjoining unloading, processing and storage space,” says the authority, whose chairman, Murdo Murray, signed the £49 million (€58.4 million) contract with civil engineers McLaughlin & Harvey.

“The deep water terminal will open a new gateway to the islands for a wide range of sectors and become a catalyst for significant further development here. It is already attracting high levels of interest from potential customers,” said Murray.

“The development will be a game changer for the local economy and for Scotland’s aspirations to grow our renewables and cruise sectors,” said deputy first minister for Scotland John Swinney, who is also chair of the Stornoway Deep Water Terminal Advisory Board.

“The terminal will enable cruise traffic and expansion of the offshore wind leasing round, as well as providing infrastructure for a range of other potential activities.”