Dingwall fish factory jobs and revamp boost warmly welcomed against gloomy coronavirus backdrop
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FORTY new jobs are set to be created in Ross-shire's county town as part of a business trailblazer warmly welcomed this week against the backdrop of the coronavirus crisis.
Fresh life will be breathed into a fish processing plant whose closure last year with the loss of more than 200 jobs was a hammer blow to the local economy.
Confirmation that Loch Duart, the Sutherland and Uists-based producer of farmed salmon, has bought the mothballed fish processing facility in Dingwall previously owned by The Edinburgh Salmon Company was hailed great news given the gloomy short-term outlook for many businesses.
The Loch Duart brand has enjoyed global prestige and is endorsed by the likes of top chef Gordon Ramsay. Its salmon was also dished up at the glitzy Season 7 premiere of Game of Thrones.
It's a first for the company which will now own a fish processing facility for the first time in its 21-year history.
The company aims to secure greater flexibility and control than ever before as part of a global industry reckoned to be worth over £600 million a year to Scotland.
The mothballed 52,000 sq ft facility on the west end of the town will be refurbished before opening. The move will result in the creation of up to 40 new jobs initially, the company says. It is remaining tight-lipped for now on timescale and the cost of its investment.
Mark Warrington, managing director of Loch Duart, said: “This is great news for Loch Duart and for our customers. It’s an investment in our future. Having our own processing facility will eventually allow us to be more flexible and responsive to our customers’ needs as we adapt to changing consumer behaviours in the new world that we all face.”
Dingwall-based MSP Kate Forbes said: "I am thrilled to hear that Loch Duart are planning to upgrade and reopen the fish processing plant previously owned by The Edinburgh Salmon Company.
“During a time of such uncertainty, the creation of at least 40 jobs is a significant boost for Dingwall and I wish Loch Duart every success in the town.”
Highland economic consultant Tony Mackay said it was "excellent news for both the Loch Duart business and the Ross-shire economy".
He said the salmon farming business has been a great success in recent years. The Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation has said exports increased by 22 per cent to £618 million in 2019, with half of that of that going to the EU. The USA is also a very important market.
Mr Mackay added: "However, only about 15 per cent of the industry’s current output is processed in Scotland, so the Loch Duart investment in the Dingwall factory is very welcome. It would be good to see more local processing in the Highlands. It is also obviously good news for the Ross economy which is struggling at present because of the coronavirus pandemic and the downturn in the North Sea oil and gas industry."
Loch Duart currently produces 6000 tonnes of salmon each year from farms in Sutherland and the Outer Hebrides. Before this development the company employed 100 people, mainly at their farm sites in Sutherland and the Outer Hebrides.
Previous owners the Edinburgh Salmon Company had flagged difficult trading conditions ahead of its closure. The plant had a workforce of 163 direct employees and 101 agency staff. The plant was owned by Européenne de la Mer, a subsidiary of the Thai Union Group.
A jobs fair was set up in Dingwall after the closure in a bid to soften the blow to the economy.
Related: Huge blow for Dingwall as salmon factory set to close
