The Sprat pump arrived on Monday 4^th November, which always feels like it marks the change from the Summer season to Winter. There has been a fairly steady fishing, although around the time of the full moon on 15^th November, it was too bright, and there have been other nights when the weather hasn’t been in favour of the boat. The Sprats this year seem to be small, which is positive for future years, but frustrating for this year!   

After my mention of Modern Slavery and People Trafficking last month, we had a significant police presence on the Harbour on 5^th November, searching one of our regular visiting vessels in conjunction with Modern Slavery allegations, and this did result in a member of the crew being charged with various offences.   

We have hit a snag with the funding application to Transport Scotland for the overnight ferry berth and so have reached the stage where we had to take a decision to postpone the project until next Autumn, as the works would not start now in time to be complete before the summer season is in full swing. It has been a frustrating couple of weeks, but we think we have a way forward now, and it will allow us to start in the Autumn and not be rushing things at the end to make way for summer ferry traffic. We’re hoping to proceed with some of the other smaller works over the next few months so that these are complete before any major works start.

CMAL are hosting a drop-in session on the new ferry for Mallaig-Lochboisdale in Mallaig and Morar Community Centre on Wednesday 11^th December between 3.30 and 6pm. Everyone is welcome along and we have shared more information on our Facebook page. The slides for the event include a first look at the proposed new vessel, and will be available on CMAL’s website after the event https://www.cmassets.co.uk/projects/mallaig-lochboisdale-new-vessel/.   

I was off on my travels again this month, firstly to Glasgow to the Scottish Ports Group Meeting, and then a trip though to Edinburgh that evening to celebrate 25 years of Seafood Scotland at their Parliamentary Reception. It was great to be part of the celebrations, and to hear some of the positive stories. It was especially good to hear about the work being done to encourage the next generation into the industry through working with schools and other training partners.

We are in the process of interviewing for the Deputy Harbour Master as I am writing this, so will hopefully have news on this in the New Year. We are also hosting a Consultation meeting for Harbour Users this week, on Thursday 5^th December. This is part of our statutory responsibility under the Port Marine Safety Code, and we have emailed many of the stakeholders who use the Harbour to come along. We hope that this will evolve into a Harbour User’s Group, which will meet twice yearly, so if anyone is reading this who uses the Harbour and has an interest in being part of this group, then please let me know.

You may have seen the Harbour Staff in the forklift this month, as they helped the Community Council and others (special mention to William Simpson and Nick Murray) with the Christmas Tree and Lights, which were all in place for the switch on event on Friday 29^th November. After a few days of lovely weather, it typically broke that afternoon to wind and rain, but it didn’t dampen spirits.

As a Trust Port, we are able to support the community both with resources like the forklift and the use of our staff time, but also with small amounts of funding. We receive various requests over the year, and the Board have taken the decision to formalise the process for funding requests. We’re ironing out the fine details of how this will work, with the aim to have guidance and an application procedure in place early in the New Year. It will not be a complicated process, but it will be a bit more structured than it has been in the past. More details to follow.

Finally, we’d like to wish all Harbour users, and the wider community, a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year when it comes.

Jacqueline McDonell

October seems to have passed by very quickly, possibly because I had ten days off work, and a week in the sun! The flip side is that I have returned to winter, and the first named storm of the season, Storm Ashley on Sunday 20^th October. This coincided with 5.1m tides which resulted in the pontoons being horizontal to the pier and the water washing over the pier. Thankfully the only damage in the Harbour was to some fendering at the entrance to the Outer Harbour, although West Bay car park took a bit of a pounding, and the road around the back of the Community Centre was blocked for a short while.

We are now on the Winter timetable for CalMac, so we are down to just the Loch Nevis operating from Mallaig at the moment. The Lord of the Isles was due to be operating from Mallaig between 21^st October and 5^th November, but due to ongoing challenges with other vessels, this has not been possible. The next period that the Lord of the Isles is due to operate from Mallaig is from 1^st December until 4^th January. CalMac are currently consulting on the timetable for Summer 2025, with forms to be submitted online by 8^th November. The guidance attached to this consultation indicates that timetables are to be maintained at their current level, and that changes will be by exception only. The process has again flagged up the need for a local Ferry Users Group. This will be especially important as Rob Ware, who has for many years collated responses on behalf of the Sleat and Mallaig communities, is leaving the area, and will no longer be able to do so. We’ll be working with Rob to put something together, and looking for local representation, so watch out for this over the coming months.

Although I had some annual leave in October, I also had a day and a half in Kilkeel at the British Ports Association Fishing Ports Group meeting. Kilkeel, Ardglass and Portavogie Harbours are all operated by the Northern Irish Fishery Harbour Authority, which is effectively owned by DEARA, the Northern Irish equivalent of DEFRA, and operated as an independent, arms-length organisation. This is quite different from the way we operate as a Trust Port, although still with an emphasis on supporting the wider community. We had presentations from the RNMDSF in Kilkeel, and the Northern Ireland Fish Producers Organisation (NIFPO). There has been quite a bit of work being done in Kilkeel around foreign crew and their rights, and this has resulted in a Modern Slavery statement being published on the 18th October. This coincided with the British Ports Association launching a guide for Ports and Harbours on Modern Slavery, People Trafficking and People Smuggling in the Westminster Parliament. The recent media coverage of the treatment of some foreign crews has brought this issue to the forefront, so it’s good to see efforts to ensure that crews are treated fairly and with respect.

While in Kilkeel, it was interesting to see that their vessels still have a Herring quota – the fishmarket was full of insulated bins awaiting Herring landings. While there are no Herring Landings in Mallaig now, Herring and the Herring Girls are very much part of our history. 35,000 people were employed in the industry in the 1900s with around 14,000 of them being women. They would travel from port to port from June to September following fleets of boats to gut and pack fish into barrels for export. Highlife Highland’s Archive Service, in partnership with Suffolk Archives, the Norfolk Record Office, and Tasglann nan Eilean (the Hebridean Archives) have been awarded funding to capture the stories of the Herring Girls, and are looking for anyone who has stories of the Herring Girls to get in touch. You can email archives@highlifehighland.com or call: 01349 781130 to share your stories.  

While we may have lost the larger ferries for the winter, we seem to have made up for it with larger Aquaculture vessels this week. The Ronja Commander has been berthed in the Outer Harbour for most of the week, and the Isaac McKinnon has been in and out each day discharging. We also have the Ocean Aquila in for a few days, and the Eloise Eslea, which is a new vessel for us in Mallaig. She is owned by Inverlussa Marine and on contract to Scottish Seafarms to provide thermo de-lousing treatment to their farms. The vessel is fitted with diesel electric propulsion and a battery hybrid system to lower fuel consumption and emissions during standby or overnight. Although she is only 27m long, her height means that she’s quite an imposing vessel coming out of Loch Nevis and into the Harbour each day!

We’re still awaiting a decision from Transport Scotland on the overnight ferry berth so no news on that this month, and also no news (despite lots of people asking us!) on what might happen to the boatyard site.

Finally this month, it would be remiss of me not to mention the deaths of three people who each had a long connection with the Harbour; John Henderson, Toby Robinson and ‘Sparky’ Longmuir. Our condolences to each of their families.  

Jacqueline McDonell

After a fairly miserable summer weather wise, September was a much better month, with some glorious days. Unfortunately, the good weather was absent on the day that we had ‘Le Dumount D’Urville’ due to anchor off the Harbour and put her passengers ashore. The vessel takes a maximum of 184 passengers in 92 staterooms and suits, and has a crew of 118. She was built in 2019, and is designed to be environmentally friendly as far as possible, including low energy lighting throughout the vessel and low fuel consumption enabled by the Hydrodynamic design and diesel engines assisted by electric turbines. We’d had a call at short notice to accommodate them, with various local organisations, including the MAaD Pipe Band and the RNLI on standby to entertain the passengers. In the end, none of the passengers came ashore, and the vessel only stayed briefly before heading off again for the more sheltered waters of Fort William!

I feel like every month I have another ferry disruption to report, and this month is no different. The Lochnevis was due back in Mallaig on 22^nd September, but issues with one of her engine blocks have meant that she is now not due back until 9^th October. The Lord of the Isles has also been redeployed to the Islay route, from 26^th September until 9^th October, so at the moment, the Coruisk is operating the Mallaig/Armadale route, the Mallaig/Lochboisdale route is cancelled, and the Loch Bhrusda, supported by the Sheerwater and Larven, is servicing the Small Isles. We have submitted the business case for the Overnight Ferry Berth to Transport Scotland, and hope to hear shortly if we have been successful, so that works can start when the Winter timetable is operating.  

I’ve been fortunate enough to have two trips away this month on Harbour business. I was a guest of CMAL at the Scottish Maritime Cluster’s reception on the Royal Yacht Britannia on Wednesday 18^th September, where we heard from the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop. It was good to hear the Scottish Government’s commitment to the Maritime Sector, and to have the chance to network with others working in the sector, including some who I had only ‘spoken’ to via email previously. The week after, on 24^th and 25^th September, and with support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, I was in Rotterdam for the Smart Connected Ports Conference. This was a really interesting two days, looking at how technology is changing the way ports operate. While some of the discussion was aimed at Ports much bigger than us, there were several ideas that could be replicated in Mallaig. Some of the discussion was about using technology to allow for better planning, whether that is through the monitoring of infrastructure and the seabed with sensors and remote cameras to allow you to plan maintenance effectively, or using radar and Artificial Intelligence to virtually support berthing manoeuvres.  There was also lots of discussion about de-carbonising port operations, and maximising the use of renewables. It was certainly an eye opener for me, not least when the Port of Algeciras spoke about their ferry operations. In the three months between June and September, they have four ferry companies operating 90 daily rotations. These ferries carry 2.9 million passengers, 650k cars, and 76,000 trucks through that three month period. In the summer months we have about 12 rotations a day, and in a whole year, we have 316,000 passengers and 79,000 vehicles using the ferries through Mallaig!   

The 1^st October saw the retiral of Micheal Ian as Coxwain of Mallaig RNLI Lifeboat, following Tony Skea’s retiral as Mechanic earlier in the year. Both positions have been advertised, but until recruitment is complete, there will be various people covering to keep the boat on service. We’ve been lucky to enjoy a good working relationship with both Micheal Ian and Tony over the years, and we wish them both well for the future!

I mentioned last month that we would need to re-recruit for a Deputy Harbour Master, and the advert is elsewhere on our website and in this month’s WestWord. We’ve decided to put more emphasis on the need for a good understanding of the operations of the Harbour, rather than on qualifications held, and we would really welcome local applicants. Both Pimmy and I are more than happy to have a chat with anyone who might be interested in applying, and if you think you might have the right skills, but are unsure what the job might entail, then please do get in touch. You can phone the office on 01687 462154, or email jacqueline@mallaigharbourauthority.com.  

Lastly, I want to mention The Screen Machine’s Fundraiser. It was launched on 3^rd September, and has a target of £100,000 towards replacing the Screen Machine, and keeping our mobile cinema operational. You can read more, and donate if you have a few spare pennies, at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-our-screen-machine. We are always delighted to host The Screen Machine on the Harbour, and have made a wee donation to help them towards their target!

Jacqueline McDonell

August began with Pimmy and I recording a radio interview for Farming Today about changes in Mallaig as the fishing industry has changed, and the impact of new industries using the Harbour. It was broadcast on 22^nd August so you might just catch us on BBC Sounds if you are interested. The piece was quite short but Kathleen and John from Yamal, who recorded us have promised a slightly longer edit, which we will share on our website and social media when we have it.

The weather has continued to be mixed, with much more rain than would be expected for August. The unseasonal weather, and the visiting vessels all heading off elsewhere has seen a drop in landings in July and August compared to May and June. However, the Harbour has continued to be relatively busy with other vessels.

We had hoped to have the MV Loch Fyne back in Mallaig prior to the Lochnevis heading off for refit, but the latest information is that she is unlikely to return this season. This means that for the period while the Lochnevis is away (2^nd to 21^st September) the Coruisk is operating the Mallaig -Armadale route as a single vessel, and the Loch Bhrusda, supported by the Sheerwater and Larven, will be servicing the Small Isles. The Lord of the Isles suffered an engine fire on 6^th August, which led to engine failure, and her having to be removed from service for repairs, returning on the 22^nd August. Thankfully no-one was injured in the fire and the vessel was able to make her way to Armadale to await a tug to escort her south for repairs. This did mean, however, that the Armadale berth was out of service and so the Mallaig/Armadale ferry couldn’t operate for a couple of days.

August’s unsettled weather has sent most of the yachts south early, so the Marina has quietened down a bit. We said goodbye to Kenny at the end of July, but welcomed Ruaraidh Fothergill and Katie McCaig, who kindly stepped in at short notice to cover some hours for us for the month. We’ve had some plans drawn up to add five new fingers to the pontoon, which we hope to be able to do over the winter months.   The ‘Eda Frandsen’ has left to begin her trips south for the winter, but as I mentioned last month, the ‘Grayhound’ has been in a couple of times. Her first trip was delivering Isle of Eigg Brewery Beer from Eigg to the Old Forge in Knoydart!

We had another unusual visitor to the harbour this month, in the form of Tom McClean’s whale, ‘Moby’, which was in transit from Loch Nevis to its new home in Fort William. It was in the Harbour for a couple of days, having been towed in by Milligan Transport, and was quite a talking point!

Unfortunately, our Deputy Harbour Master has resigned from the post, having been on unpaid leave since the beginning of July due to family issues. We are obviously disappointed that he is unable to continue in post, but wish him all the best for the future. As a Board, we are going to have a think about exactly what is required before re-advertising the position.

We were also disappointed to learn that Harland and Wolff are likely to dispose of the Mallaig Boatyard as part of their restructuring. Our understanding is that works to bring the boatyard up to a modern operating standard were estimated at between £2 and £3 million, which will be challenging for anyone hoping to re-open the site as a boatyard.

We were all surprised and saddened to hear that Gillie (John Gillies) had been made redundant from his post managing the MOWI Harvest Station in Mallaig this month. Gillie had been at the Harvest Station for over 20 years, as well as being instrumental in setting up Shinty training locally and getting involved with various other community fundraisers.

In more positive news, we had a visit from Finn Buchanan, whose family have a house in Morar, and who recently graduated with a Masters Degree in Architecture in Denmark. Finn chose Mallaig Harbour as the basis for his thesis, and has kindly given us some of the models he made as part of this. Finn is going to write a bit more about this for West Word himself, so look out for that.

Finally, while we always try to be accommodating, new rules from The Highland Council about the disposal of soft furnishings containing persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which includes sofas, chairs and beanbags, mean that we cannot accept any soft furnishings in the skip. We have put up signs to this effect, and would remind people that the skip is monitored by CCTV. If you do try and dispose of something on the list of POPs, it will be taken out of the skip and returned to you for disposal through the Council’s bulky waste uplift service.     

Jacqueline McDonell

Hot on the heels of the General Election for the UK parliament, we hosted a Scottish Ministerial visit on Wednesday 17^th July. Tom Arthur MSP, who is Minister for Employment and Investment was on a summer tour, and meeting with businesses in the Skye and Lochaber areas who operate either as social enterprises or with wider community benefit. We were able to share with him our plans for development, as well as some of the facts and figures from our Economic Impact Assessment.

Over the last few months I have been mentioning how we have been busier than in recent years with visiting fishing vessels. I mentioned previously that the Fishermen’s Mission were not renewing their lease on the space that they occupied in the Mission Building, and this month we received information to circulate on how to contact them now that the office is closed. If you need support from the Fishermen’s Mission, the information gives a freephone number – 0800 634 1020 (press option 2) or email enquiries@fishermensmission.org.uk.

As well as the Inner Harbour being busy with fishing vessels, it has also been busy in the Outer Harbour. Our first draft of the funding application for the overnight ferry berth has been submitted to Transport Scotland, and we’ve had lots of data on usage of the berths to back it up! As well as the Ronja vessels discharging to the Harvest Station, the Aqua Vikness and Aqua Harvester have been bringing in salmon for onward processing, and Inverlussa’s new well boat, the Isaac McKinnon has been in and out throughout July. The Isaac McKinnon, which was formerly the Ronja Viking, was bought by Inverlussa in June 2024, and is contracted to MOWI Scotland to move fish to and from their recently established post smolt facility in Loch Etive. 

The disruption to ferry services continues, with the MV Loch Fyne having to be removed from service on the Largs-Cumbrae route because of an issue with the propulsion unit. This will require approximately four weeks to resolve, contingent on the arrival of spare parts, at the earliest w/c 5^th August. It had been hoped that the MV Loch Fyne would return to Mallaig from around 13^th August, but it is more likely now that this will be early September. The MV Lochnevis is due to go for her annual refit from Monday 2^nd September, which means that the MV Loch Bhrsuda will have to cover the Small Isles route, and that the MV Coruisk will likely have to operate as a single vessel on the Mallaig-Armadale route for a period in September.

July has continued to be busy over at the Marina, and we have welcomed a few larger vessels this year, including the 21m catamaran ‘Sea Tilt’, which, with its black hulls, mast and sails, stood out against the rest of our visiting vessels at the start of the month. The ‘Blue Clipper’ has been and gone for the season, but not before Audrey and I were invited down to meet the crew and have a tour aboard. The ‘Provident’ was also alongside that night, so it was nice to spend time with crew of both boats, that we normally only see briefly as they nip in and out of the office collecting mail etc.! The Provident has one more trip into Mallaig, before leaving for Oban on 9^th August. The ‘Eda Frandsen’ is with us for the month of August, so Summer is not quite over yet! This summer we’ve also had a couple of visits from the ‘Lady of Avanel’, and we are expecting the ’Grayhound’ later in August for a couple of trips, so look out for her! She was launched in 2021, and is a 5/6 scale replica of a three masted Customs Lugger from 1776. She carries a licence for worldwide travel and is armed with two working cannon!!

The 200th Anniversary RNLI celebrations continue, and we are looking forward to hosting the Music Shed Community Choir on Sunday 11^th August. The Community Choir have been practising some sea-themed songs and are having a mini-tour, starting at Corpach in the morning, then on to Arisiag, before three performances in Mallaig.

We are looking forward to welcoming back the Screen Machine later in the month, on 28^th and 29^th August.

Finally this month, congratulations to Mallaig FC, who won the Ross Cup on Saturday 3^rd August, beating Fort William 3-1 at Kyleakin.

Jacqueline McDonell

By the time you read this, the election will have been and gone, and we will have a new government. The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation welcomed two of the prospective candidates for our area to Mallaig Harbour on Friday 28^th June to talk to them about issues pertinent to the industry.  

We have continued to be busier than during the past few years with visiting fishing vessels, so the Harbour has had a bit of a buzz about it from this. For the first five months of the year there have been over £2million worth of landings through the Harbour, which compares well to last year’s £1.25million at the same time! Unfortunately, it hasn’t come without a bit of hassle, including the toilet in the prawn market having to be closed temporarily as the cistern was hauled off the wall. Hopefully this is an isolated incident.

We hoped last month that the disruption to ferry services was past, but unfortunately this was not the case. From mid-June, the MV Loch Fyne was redeployed to cover the Largs-Cumbrae route, initially leaving us with only the MV Coruisk for a few days until the MV Loch Bhrusda arrived to supplement the timetable. Latest information is that the MV Loch Fyne will remain on the Largs-Cumbrae route for the whole of July, until the MV Loch Shira is back on service, and will then require some modifications before returning to Mallaig, hopefully from around mid-August. This does mean that there is slightly reduced capacity on the Mallaig-Armadale service, and that some sailings are not available to coaches so please check on the CalMac website before you travel.

Some more drilling was undertaken in the Outer Harbour in preparation for the overnight ferry berth works, and thankfully this didn’t flag any major issues, so we are still working away in the background to try and make this happen over the winter months.

Yachting season is in full swing, with lots of foreign yachts around this year – many of them French. Eda Frandsen has been in Stornoway for a few weeks, but is now back operating from Mallaig, and the Provident, Blue Clipper and Lady of Avanel have all been in the Harbour at various times. We are gearing up for the group of yachts displaced by the Ocean Clipper Race being in Mallaig, and are hoping to have our annual Marina Fun Day to coincide with their visit, on the 13^th July. As usual, there will be a barbecue and some children’s activities on the day. Our hanging baskets are back up providing a bit of colour round at the Marina – thanks to Jill from Ardshealach Lodge for replanting these for us. We’ve also added another splash of colour with a lifebelt personalised for us by Dawn at Magpie Makes, so although the weather might not have been very bright, at least the Marina Building looks welcoming!

Our AGM went well on Friday 14^th June, with a good attendance on the day, and some interesting questions, both about the Economic Impact Assessment, and the wider Harbour Operations. We are grateful to Mark and Leeanne from MKA Economics who came along on the day, as well as to all those who attended and gave us feedback. At the AGM we re-appointed Helen Wedd, David MacDonald and Sandra McLean to serve a further three-year term as Board Members, and Gavin Davis was re-appointed as Chair. Gavin’s appointment was for a period of four years, as at the end of the four years he will have served the maximum term and will have to step down from the Board.

It has felt like a month of meetings, most of them done online, but on 27^th June, Arijit and I attended the Scottish Ports Group Meeting. This was held in Inverness, and included a coach tour around the various ports that will make up the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport. These are Global Energy Port of Nigg, Port of Cromarty Firth, Highland Rural Deephaven, Port of Inverness and Haventus Port of Ardersier.  Some of them are more advanced in their operations than others, but there has been much talk about the Green Freeport, and it was incredible to see the scale of the facilities that are part of it. Ardersier at the moment is effectively a huge building site – but one that you could almost fit the whole village of Mallaig into – never mind just the Harbour! There is an interactive map on the website www.greenfreeport.scot for those who are interested in finding out more, but even the headline numbers of 520 Hectares of industrial land (1,280 acres or 853 football pitches!) and 3.564m of quayside are quite incredible!   

Last, but not least, we lease two of our offices above the Prawn Market to Studio Mustard. They were doing some work around the Harbour for another local business, and shared with us some drone photos of the Harbour. You can see them all on our Facebook page, but I’ve shared one here. It might be the only time there is ever an aerial shot of the boatyard so empty! Harland and Wolff are still developing their plans for redevelopment of the site, and have advertised for two apprentices on their website. These apprentices will spend their first year full time at Inverness College before being brought on site for further training.

Jacqueline McDonell

The visiting fishing vessels continued to land throughout April and May, so it’s been a good start to this year in terms of shellfish in particular. White fish remains a much lower proportion of landings than it might have been historically, and although the trend is still downwards in general, there are some grounds for optimism. The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation have recently published a report into Industry Trends and Attitudes, which includes consideration of the wider impact of fishing to our coastal communities alongside the environmental impacts, and the advances in technology within the industry. It ends with a plea to political parties, and those standing for election to:

• Take time to understand the detail and nuance of the Scottish fishing industry and our complex marine systems.
• Champion the nutritious, sustainable, climate-smart food that it produces
• Support fishing being properly protected in our increasingly crowded seas – striking the right balance between conservation and sustainable harvesting, and ensuring that we have food security as well as energy security.
• Recognise that Scotland’s fishing sector is an important part of how we reach net zero
• Commit to working with us (Scottish Fishermen’s Federation), as we collectively seek to secure all our futures.

You can access the full report from the news page of their website – https://www.sff.co.uk/news/.

Hopefully we have seen the last of the disruption to ferry services for the moment. The Coruisk has returned from supporting services on the Isle of Mull while their ferry provided additional capacity for Féis Ile, and there are no further proposed redeployments for the moment.  However, we have been discussing with community representatives on Skye the idea of reinvigorating the ‘Sound of Sleat Transport Forum’ or something similar so that there is a united voice from our communities to respond to consultations and proposed redeployments. If anyone locally would be interested in being part of a ’Ferry Users Group’ or similar, then please get in touch with me and I can keep you informed. It’s likely that this will not happen until the end of the summer season.

The tenders have been returned for the overnight ferry berth, and some additional investigative work will have been undertaken by the time you read this.

I mentioned last month that the Marina had a fairly quiet start to its re-opening, but things have picked up since then, and we have already had a few nights where we have been at full capacity. The moorings and anchor chains have been replaced where necessary and the works to replace planks are ongoing. We have welcomed the Eda Fransden back for her first couple of trips this season, so it feels like the season is in full swing already!  Some of you may be aware that the Ocean Clipper Race is coming to Oban between the 12^th and 21^st July. We are already aware of one group who are coming to Mallaig for the weekend as a result of being displaced from Oban at this time, and we are expecting to be very busy throughout this week, so we may not be able to accommodate passing yacht traffic to the same extent as normal.

We had a good day of weather for the RNLI Gala day on 25^th May, and the Northern Lighthouse vessel ‘Pole Star’ was a huge attraction on the day. Cameron MacDonald kindly shared these drone photos with us, and the view from the Bridge looking back to the Harbour on the day gave a totally different perspective. It was a great day overall and between takings on the day and donations received, over £6,800 was raised for the RNLI locally, not including the takings from the RNLI shop stall on the day, which took in a further £1,200.

Proposed changes to parking restrictions in The Highland Council car parks – West Bay in particular, have led to lots of recent enquiries about parking on and around the Harbour. At the moment, all our permit spaces are allocated and we have a waiting list of around 30 people, many of whom have been on the list for several years. We do go through the list annually and re-allocate spaces where possible, but turnover is very low. We have no plans to create any additional parking – in fact it’s more likely that spaces will be reduced as development takes place, so we would encourage Community Councils and other community organisations to make their voices heard with The Highland Council.

Our AGM is on 14^th June, and the focus this year is the Economic Impact Assessment undertaken on our behalf by MKA Economics. We’re grateful to everyone who participated in the process, sharing their time and information to make the final document as comprehensive as it is. The intention behind the Economic Impact Assessment is to have evidence to support future funding applications for developments around the Harbour, and the headline numbers from the final report are impressive. Rather than a wordy description, we have captured these into some key facts about the Harbour, which are included here.

Jacqueline McDonell

The visiting fishing vessels continued into April, which has been a good boost for the Harbour, and has made it look pretty busy on occasion! March’s landing figures were the highest March figures since 2017, so we’ll be delighted if visiting boats continue to land throughout the year.

The challenges with ferry services continue. The MV Loch Fyne has been operating a single vessel service since 14^th April, and we haven’t had any sailings of the Lord of the Isles since then either. There have also been some days this month that the Loch Nevis has been unable to sail due to technical issues, so it’s been a quiet start to the season. Today we have been informed that there are further delays to the MV Finlaggan’s annual overhaul, and that she is not now due back on service until at least 15^th May, which will mean a delay to the return of the Coruisk and Lord of the Isles.  We are still working towards our plan for another overnight ferry berth, and the project is out to tender at the moment. The closing date had to be extended until 8^th May, and we have spent part of the last month showing prospective contractors around the works and answering queries so fingers crossed for affordable tender submissions! We met with Transport Scotland on 22^nd April to talk through the proposals for the berth, and some of our other concerns about ferry infrastructure locally.

Our new Deputy Harbour Master, Arijit Mukherjee, started at the beginning of April, and many of you will have already met him out and about with Pimmy. Arijit has spent time at sea, but also lectured in ship stability in Glasgow for a number of years, so brings a wide range of experience to the Harbour Authority. We are members of the British Ports Association, and their Scottish Ports Group meeting took place in Bishopton on 18^th April, so this was a good opportunity for me to introduce him to colleagues undertaking a similar role in other Scottish Ports. We’ve taken the opportunity of having to reorganise the office to accommodate Arijit to give it a much needed coat of paint and get new flooring. This has led to complete disruption for a week or so, but will be worth it in the end!

Another project for the wider Harbour Buildings has been the redevelopment of the former ‘An Cala’ Café into the West Highland Tea Studio. Rachael and her team have worked hard to get the building organised and area almost ready to open the new tea studio. Even the exterior has had a makeover with composite cladding to make it stand out. It’s looking really good, and we wish Rachael good luck for the opening later in the month!

The Marina has re-opened for the season, and although it has been a fairly quiet start, it has been nice to see yachts back. It’s also great to have Gena back for the season, and Kenny Harris, who has returned to cover days off. There’s lots of work going on at the pontoons, with planks being replaced on the walkways, and a visit from North West Marine to check mooring chains and anchors. Anyone who has used the Marina since it opened has probably come across Jim Fowler, who was one of the first berth holders and who sailed round the pontoons when they were installed making sure all the berths were accessible. Jim and his wife Pat have sold their house locally to move closer to family, so we’ll be sad to see their yacht Seraphia depart the pontoon for the final time in early May. 

The RNLI Gala day will take place on 25^th May. This will be the first year in many where it hasn’t been a joint Gala with the RNMDSF, but the plans are well advanced, and it should be a great day. There will be some restrictions on the Harbour that day to ensure everyone’s safety, but those who have parking spaces behind the Prawn Market / shops will still be able to access these.

This is also the time of year where we look at Board membership in advance of our AGM in June. This year, we have three Board Members who have just completed their first term and are eligible for a second term. All three have indicated that they are keen to remain on the Board, and have re-applied. However, we are always interested in hearing from others who would like to apply to become a member of the Board. If you are interested, then please drop me an email at jacqueline@mallaigharbourauthority.com and I can send on some details.

Our AGM this year is on Friday 14^th June, and we always open this meeting to the wider public. This year we have invited Mark and Leeanne from MKA Economics to come and talk through the findings of our Economic Impact Assessment, which has now been finalised to include some case studies, and which we hope to share more widely after its approval at our AGM.

Jacqueline McDonell

It’s been another mixed month of weather, but a bit more activity on the fishing side. On Thursday 21^st March we had gales which brought 11 visiting fishing vessels as well as three local boats into the Harbour. It’s the busiest we have seen it for a good few years, and as I write this quite a few of them are back in, having landed again. There are more gales forecast for the weekend, so the Harbour will be full again.

Seafish are undertaking a series of consultation events on the current and future management of Nephrops fisheries in the North Sea and waters around the west coast of Scotland. These are to support the development of Fisheries Management Plans for these areas. An event will be held in the Harbour Building meeting room on Friday 12^th April from 6pm-8pm. Seafish want to hear from anyone with an interest in Nephrops fisheries and their management, and no prior registration is required – just come along to the meeting.

The congestion in the Harbour is compounded by having the Loch Fyne and Loch Bhrusda back, and berthing overnight in the Outer Harbour. It’s great to see the ferries operational again, although a bit disappointing that we have once again started the season without the Coruisk. We are expecting the Coruisk back on Friday 5^th April, but then she is being redeployed from the 14^th April until the 11^th May to cover the Oban-Craignure run. During this period, we will also lose the Lochboisdale sailing, as the service will be running to Oban instead. This has already generated some negative press, as many local businesses are having bookings cancelled as potential visitors to the area have to rearrange their holiday plans. The consultation on The Islands Connectivity Plan and Vessels and Ports Plan is still open for another month – until 3^rd May, so this is a good opportunity to make your voice heard if you have strong views about the ferry services. To access the consultation, search for Islands Connectivity Plan on www.transport.gov.scot.    

Some of our Board Members accompanied me to Portree on 19^th March to attend an event organised by HIE and Lochaber Chamber of Commerce bringing people together to discuss their vision for the West Coast, including Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross. It was an interesting day, and great to see how other businesses such as Kishorn Port Limited are trying to put the area on the map. As usual, affordable housing was top of the list of concerns for people, and the impact that the lack of housing has on attracting new staff to the area. One of the speakers was Catherine MacLeod, who is originally from Mallaig and who has been a political journalist and Political Advisor, most notably to Alistair Darling in the Treasury during the financial crash. She was urging businesses to make Westminster aware of the issues and challenges faced in the West Coast, so hopefully this event will be the start of a process to do this with a united voice. There was a lot of discussion in the afternoon about the opportunities that could arise from the Cromarty Firth Green Freeport, and how the West Coast can benefit from these, as well as how to harness the benefits from offshore wind licences. As a Harbour, we need to be able to recognise opportunities and be able to maximise any benefits, which feeds into the work we wanted to do in developing the Outer Harbour.

I had hoped last month to be able to introduce you to our new Deputy Harbour Master. Unfortunately, his start date was delayed, so this will have to wait until next month.

We also received notice this week that the Fishermen’s Mission has taken the decision not to renew the lease on the Mallaig Centre, which will result in there not being facilities available for visiting fishermen. A press release explaining why is published elsewhere in WestWord. This is not entirely unexpected, given the loss of their local staff member at the end of November, a post which has not been readvertised. As with many other organisations, the RNMDSF is having to make tough decisions about how to use limited funds, and has moved away from providing similar centres in other Harbours. In anticipation of this announcement, we have already had a look at whether we might be able to improve the facilities within the Prawn Market, and at least install a shower, and we will work with local fishermen’s organisations over the coming months to establish what demand there is for facilities locally.

This month we also met with MOWI in Fort William after the announcement of changes to the way that the Harvest Station will be operated, which will result in a reduction to the staff employed there. Whilst the consultation period between MOWI and their staff is still ongoing, and they were not able to share details of this, MOWI were able to give reassurances that they remain committed to Mallaig as a base for harvesting salmon in the future.

Finally this month, after the launch of ‘Mallaig Clean’ last month, I was invited back to talk to the children of Mallaig Primary at their assembly, about how the Harbour manages and tries to reduce waste. The children were very knowledgeable about the impact litter can have on the marine environment, and what can be done to help, and are very enthusiastic about the part that they can play in reducing this impact. We are hoping at the Harbour to support the Small Isles with more recycling of beach waste towards the end of the month. The sailing yacht Selkie is going to help access some of the trickier areas of shore around the Small Isles and this waste will then be brought to Mallaig for sorting and recycling.

Jacqueline McDonell

It’s been another mixed month of weather, with not much activity for the fishing boats, although this week is looking more promising, and as I am writing this we have quite a few ice orders in for boats hoping to head out to sea. We’re also expecting the first of the landings from visiting Irish boats in the next couple of weeks, which will boost the landings figures!

Our meeting room was used to host a meeting chaired by the Regional Inshore Fisheries Group (RIFG) on Thursday 15^th February. Regional Inshore Fisheries Groups aim ‘to improve the sustainable management of inshore fisheries and to give commercial inshore fishers a voice in wider marine management developments.’ A new structure for RIFGs was established in January 2023, and Marine Scotland is now consulting on their impact, remit and organisation, as well as options for the future. The survey is open until 30^th April 2024, and should take around 15 minutes to complete. If you have an interest in the inshore fishing industry, then please take some time to complete it. You can access it from this link https://t.co/YMdYd46jMH .

We’ve had a draft of the Economic Impact Assessment, which has provided some good information, and we’re grateful to those who gave their time to input to the study. As a Board, we have decided to commission some case studies to sit alongside the main document, and these will be ready by the end of March. Headline figures from the report are that Mallaig Harbour contributes to 200FTE jobs in the local area, generating a turnover of £30.94 million for the businesses and organisations using the Harbour, and a total GVA of £12.03 million locally. We know that these figures don’t necessarily mean much in isolation, and this is where the case studies will help to present a better and easier to understand picture of the impact associated with the Harbour.

The 200FTEs noted in the Economic Impact Assessment included 27 employed by MOWI at the Harvest Station, and some of you will have heard locally that this number is under review. MOWI is currently reviewing its overall salmon harvesting procedures, which will affect staff requirements in the Harvest Station in Mallaig, and the company is going through a consultation process with those staff who will be affected. This process is ongoing so the details of what this will mean for the Harvest Station, and for operations through the Harbour more generally are not yet known.

We have issued the tender documentation for the Overnight ferry berth this month, with the aim of having everything in place to start construction in the Autumn. CMAL have published a question and answer document relating to the replacement vessel for the Lord of the Isles, and this is available on their website, https://www.cmassets.co.uk/project/mallaig-lochboisdale/. Transport Scotland have also published their Islands Connectivity Plan Strategic Approach, which sets out a long term vision for how ferry services, supported by other transport links, will be delivered and improved in the future. As part of this, a consultation is open on the Vessels and Ports Plan. This consultation is open until 3^rd May, and is available on Transport Scotland’s website, www.transport.gov.scot, and search for ‘Islands Connectivity Plan’. The Vessels and Ports Plan makes very little reference to Mallaig, and the works needed to ensure the Harbour infrastructure is fit for new vessels as these are built. It does make reference to ‘Additional developments’, which include the Small Vessel Replacement Programme Phase 2, which is where any replacement vessels for Mallaig-Armadale would come in, and to the Small Isles vessel replacement project and associated works, but doesn’t specify what these might be. It goes on to give a bit more detail on the Small Isles replacement, which it is hoped would be in place before 2030/31. This seems like a long time away, but consultation will have to start soon to achieve this. CalMac’s difficulties continue, with increased works identified for the MV Coruisk, MV Caledonian Isles and MV Isle of Mull during their annual overhaul periods. This, combined with the ‘Route Prioritisation Framework’ published in 2023, means that it’s possible that the MV Coruisk may have to be deployed elsewhere in the network rather that on the Mallaig-Armadale route for the start of the summer season. Nothing has been confirmed as yet, although CalMac hope to publish amended timetables on 5^th March.

In more positive news, I was invited to attend the launch of ‘Mallaig Clean’ up at Mallaig Primary school on Monday 26^th February. The Eco-Group children and their teachers and some parents have worked really hard to establish ‘Mallaig Clean’, to help make Mallaig ‘a clean and green town that everyone can enjoy and be proud of’. I’m sure you will be able to read more about their efforts elsewhere in West Word. I was also invited to go back and talk to the children about Marine Litter in particular at their Friday assembly. The children had loads of good questions for me about marine litter, and were able to share lots of information about the damage it does to our environment. We’re hoping to be able to work with the Scottish Islands Federation to remove some more marine litter from the Small Isles and Skye this year and recycle it into something useful so hopefully we can continue to work with the school and ‘Mallaig Clean’ into the future. It was really great to see how enthusiastic and knowledgeable the children were. They can’t clean all of Mallaig on their own though, so there is a section of the website for anyone who wants to volunteer to help!  

Our new Deputy Harbour Master came and spent an afternoon with us on 16^th February, and he hopes to start officially on Tuesday 26^th March. He’s currently based in Glasgow, and has previously lectured at the Nautical College as well as serving at sea. There’s a lot to learn so he will be working alongside Pimmy for the first few months to understand how everything operates. We’ll introduce him more fully next month!

Jacqueline McDonell