Port of Inverness exceeds £2 million turnover for the first time in its 177-year history
The Port of Inverness has delivered its highest ever turnover with revenue exceeding £2 million for the first time in its 177-year history.
The results for 2023/24 unveiled at the Port’s recent AGM included a record turnover of £2.08 million with a surplus of £383,203, a return of 18.5 per cent and up from £1.7 million the previous year.
A total of 733,000 tonnes of cargo were handled by the Port, up slightly on last year with cargoes including timber, fuel, renewable energy components and sustainable aviation fuel.
George Macleod, chairman of Inverness Harbour Trust who run the Port of Inverness, said: “We’re delighted to report our highest ever turnover which is particularly pleasing given our Trust Port status. All our surplus is reinvested in our business – developing our staff and improving our infrastructure to ensure we continue to deliver the same first-class service to our port users.
“Our excellent performance means we are also ideally placed to take advantage of our leading role in the new Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport. This is a huge opportunity for the whole of the Highlands and we look forward to helping drive it forward, creating jobs, prosperity and a lasting legacy for the area.”
At the Port’s AGM at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness on Friday (November 29).
Chief executive Sinclair Browne also outlined the Port’s new ten-year strategic plan which sets out the Port’s plans to capitalise on future opportunities and develop its facilities to cater for blue economy related activities delivering the transition to a lower carbon future.
The meeting was addressed by guest speaker Richard Ballantyne OBE, chief executive of the British Ports Association who stressed the importance of the ports industry to the UK’s economic prosperity.
Richard Ballantyne said: “Scottish ports are central to both the export and import of goods while also playing a vital role in delivering ambitious decarbonisation plans. Short sea shipping is one of the most carbon efficient transportation methods and government at all levels should be encouraging the use of shipping as a key mode of transportation to reduce freight volumes on our roads.”
