Work has started on a £2.5million project to build a marine engineering workshop and vessel wash-down area at Stornoway Harbour.
New jobs are expected to be created when the facility, being developed by Stornoway Port Authority (SPA), opens.
The project is the final part of a wider £12m investment in the Newton Basin and Goat Island areas of the harbour by the organisation.
Serving commercial and leisure markets, the workshop will house two covered boat repair bays, one of which will be available on a long-term lease and the other on a short-term basis.
It is being built on land reclaimed to create the 75-berth Newton Marina.
New marine workshop will open next year
The external wash-down area will be suitable for vessels using the marina’s new 100-tonne boat lift. The existing slipway will continue to serve larger vessels unable to use the lift, while a new public slipway will accommodate boats that are too small for it.
The marine engineering building is due to be completed in the second quarter of 2022 and the wash-down facility is expected to open later this year.
SPA awarded the construction contact for the development to Ayrshire-based 3b Construction, with a subcontract package going to Breedon Hebrides.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) approved £3.5m funding for the overall Newton Basin/Goat Island project and Western Isles Council contributed £2.75m, through the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund.
SPA chief executive, Alex MacLeod, said: “This is a hugely exciting project and one that is central to the port’s vision for the future.
“Partnering with the correct contractors is critical to ensure the successful delivery of the Newton Basin/Goat Island development, so we are delighted to be working alongside 3b Construction and Breedon Hebrides – two vastly experienced businesses with a track record of success.”
Donald Crichton, chairman of Western Isles Council’s sustainable development committee, added: “The council is delighted to see the final part of the Newton Basin and Goat Island areas being concluded.
Particularly pleasing is the way in which partners and stakeholders have worked together to support the £12m developments, improve the area, support creation of new jobs and offer state-of-the-art facilities for the marine industry.”
As part of a 20-year masterplan, SPA is planning to develop a new deep water terminal at Stornoway, which it has said will create more than 200 jobs.