Mallaig Harbour News: June 2017
Cruise Ship Visitations
Two visits by “Le Boreal” – Thursday 18th May and Saturday 3rd June – and one from the “Hebridean Princess” (18th May) kicked off the cruise ship visitation for the summer season.
There are two more to follow. On Saturday 24th June “Le Soleal” – sister ship of “Le Boreal” – will pay a visit and in the afternoon of Tuesday 11th July the UK based “MV Balmoral” (63 metres in length) will tie up alongside the pier for a short period of time.
Passenger Access
One of the issues raised via the recently published Mallaig Harbour Masterplan is the provision of improved access at the passenger steps. The Authority is now actively reviewing access from the pier onto the small passenger ferry boats that use the steps and an initial meeting with some of the local businesses that could be affected – directly or indirectly – by any improvement there like say, provision of a walkway/pontoon access replacing the steps, has been held.
Local and Inverie passenger ferry vessels, The Mallaig Boatyard, The Lifeboat and the local Fishing fleet will all be affected – to a greater or lesser degree -with anything that is eventually implemented in that area hence the need for early and continued consultation and consideration..
Mary Manson
This photograph crossed over my desk just the other day. Taken in the early to mid 60’s when the pier was still owned and operated by British Railways the photo shows the local Ring Net Vessel “Mary Manson” getting “painted up” on Lovat Beach. It looks as if Old Jim Manson is about to “walk the plank” to get to the “Margaret Ann” OB79.
The three buildings on the left are The Lifeboat Shed, Bruce Watt Cruises and Sandy Reid’s Fish Shop.
Incidentally I remember there being holes in the concrete floor in Reid’s Fish Shop – sea water would gurgle up the holes at high tide flooding the shop floor!
Beluga II
The harbour played host to “Beluga II”, a two masted schooner owned and operated by “Greenpeace” over the weekend of 26th – 29th May, and on the 29th the vessel sailed for Canna.
The “Beluga II” is in the area doing research and collecting data on waste plastic/debris in the Minch.
