Port of Inverness celebrates 175 years with future plans and book launch
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The Port of Inverness marked its 175th anniversary as a trust port last week, with a special event at Inverness Town House.
Guests were invited along to hear about the history of the Port and its strategic placement in the region.
The event was also an opportunity to discuss the future plans of the Port which would include a major expansion for the area.
Port trustee, Gary Campbell championed the plans for the proposed 'Harbour Gait. He said: "Inverness Port has not closed since 1847, which is quite some statistic.
"The Port is here for the people of Inverness.
"Going forward we have plans for the flat shore near the marina, which is called 'Harbour Gait'.
"It is in the Inner Moray Firth local plans for it to be launched.
"With the support of Highland Council we see a plan for a waterfront development that includes both leisure and industry, both of which, are very important in that part of the city.
"Part of the plans will also be an enlarged marina. The marina is at 120 per cent capacity, so we want to complement commercial traffic."
He also discussed the role of the Port in the Cromarty Firth green freeport bid, which he believes can bring a real benefit to Inverness and the region.
The special anniversary as a trust port has also been realised by the commissioning of a new book which highlights the key role the port has played in the development of Inverness and the Highlands.
Written by local author Roy Pedersen, the book charts the history of the port from its first recorded references over 800 years ago. The earliest known record of the Port of Inverness is in the writings of Benedictine monk Matthew Paris who wrote that in 1249 a large ship was built in Inverness for a French count to carry him to the Crusades.
Trade flourished for hundreds of years with the Low Countries, France, the Baltic and Scandinavia with exports such as skins, salmon, salt cod and herring. New quays were constructed and the harbour expanded until, after several years of lack of maintenance and financial mismanagement, an Act of Parliament became law in 1847 providing for the upgrading of the Port and the creation of Inverness Harbour Trust, an independent board to manage the Port’s assets.
George Macleod, chair of Inverness Harbour Trust, said: “The Port has always been at the very heart of Inverness and its development into the city it is today. With its sheltered location Inverness has been a safe haven which has never closed once over the years and has played a key role in keeping the Highlands running with imports of fuel, wood and road salt amongst other cargoes.
“Its status as a trust port means that the Port of Inverness has no shareholders or owners and all profits are reinvested, giving us the flexibility to ensure we move with the times and provide exactly the facilities our users need.
“In the 1940s and 50s we helped facilitate the construction of the hydro schemes across the Highlands and today we are a key route for renewable energy projects, helping to ensure a secure supply of green electricity and a sustainable future as we look forward to our next 175 years.”
