Cromarty and Nigg ferry slipway repair work needed after challenging project backed by Scottish Government cash
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REPAIR work is needed on two Easter Ross ferry slipways that were rebuilt only 18 months ago as part of a £600,000 tourism investment.
Tidal erosion on the base of the concrete ramps at Cromarty and Nigg has forced a local community trust to call in the contractors for remedial work.
The old slipways were close to being condemned before Cromarty Community Development Trust (CCDT) successfully levered £300,000 from the Scottish Government’s rural tourism infrastructure fund.
The move safeguarded Scotland’s last remaining east coast car ferry service, the short hop across the Cromarty Firth operated by Highland Ferries from June to September.
Work began in October 2020 on a complex, tidally-sensitive rebuild and broadening of the slipways by three metres, with the challenging project completed by contractors Simpsons Builders in December that year.
With a 30 per cent rise in ferry traffic on the two-to-three vehicle crossing, allowance was made for the ramps to be lengthened by 10 metres with future funding. This would enable the operators to run a 16-car ferry across the firth if and when one can be acquired.
Some £211,000 was spent on the slipways with the remainder of the grant funding set aside for the Cromarty campsite project to cater for increasing numbers of motorhomes. The project was match-funded by contributions from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Highland Council, the Beatrice Windfarm Fund, Wakelin Trust, Aberdeen University, Global Energy and Nigg Community Council.
CCDT director Jacquie Ross stressed it was always anticipated there would be complications after the new slipways were built.
She said: “To get the slips to last forever and a day, we would have had to spend £2.5 million.
“The contractors have been fantastic at coming back out and we are working with them to get the issues rectified. They are undertaking something extremely complicated on a very limited budget.
“It is not unexpected. The contractor knew that this was likely to happen, so we had all the mitigations in place. We just had to see how the tides were going to affect it.
“The Cromarty side was absolutely fine, but what happened was the cement pour wasn’t quite set when the tide came in. At Nigg, there’s been a bit more damage on the west-facing side, but again a plan is in place for sorting that. We’re just trying to work out the best way to do that, looking at how it has been eroded and undercut, and how best to stop that. One of the issues is waiting until we have low enough tides. People don’t realise it is quite a complicated process on a very tight budget.”
Highland Ferries owner and operator Dougie Robertson said: “There have been a few issues with the slips, a wee bit of undermining.
“We became aware of it even before we started using them in June last year. We’re still adversely affected by tidal conditions. With a low spring tide, we still have a bit of a problem getting into the slips.
“Apart from that, it is still a lot better than what we had previously.”
A spokeswoman for the contractor said: “Simpson Builders were delighted to have been involved in the Cromarty and Nigg slipways project, working alongside a wonderful community and the development trust. We have undertaken some minor remedial works, which were not unforeseen given the nature of the project, and have some minor remedial works to attend to later this year when the tides allow.”
