Lochaber’s marine environment of coastal and inland waterways encompass some of the world’s most beautiful and varied waters for outdoor sports, marine wildlife, scenery and heritage. It is also an area which offers potential business growth to the 15% of Lochaber Chamber of Commerce members who have business interests in marine or inland waterways.
Chamber member businesses relying heavily on the marine infrastructure and coastal location include marine haulage, harbours, marinas, mooring maintenance and installation, ferries, boat yards, commercial fishing and related industries, pontoons, aquaculture, and fish cultivation and harvesting; and make significant economic contribution to the wider area.
Marine Tourism brings visitors to Lochaber throughout the year positively impacting accommodation and activity providers as well as retailers and food outlets; and much of the area is inaccessible except by water for many of the local residents who rely on ferries which are largely currently maintained in the Clyde and occasionally by Corpach Boat Builders, Fort William.
The well documented and ever increasing pressure on the main roads through the region, means businesses are increasingly looking to alternative forms of transport to support their growth. As investment in Lochaber grows Fort William is ideally located as a transport hub: at one end of the Great Glen, crossing Scotland from east to west; providing a link to the port of Mallaig and the islands beyond; and at the crossroads of the A82 and A830.
If further investment is made into the local seaways to support developments in road and rail, there would be greater opportunities for improved waterborne passage across Scotland cutting road based freight and the associated carbon emissions significantly, and facilitating better connections from Ireland to Scandinavia and Holland.
Two projects of national importance are currently being developed in Lochaber, both of which offer significant job and skills creation plus the associated positive economic impact. The Fort William Pontoons (short-stay) have been provided specifically for visiting cruise liners to bring their passengers ashore in tenders, and are equally suitable for other vessels. Already visiting cruise ships have brought increased business to the town and following Lochaber Chamber of Commerce’s visit to Sea Trade Expo in September 2017, there is increased interest for 2018 and beyond with several Cruise and Tour operators adding Fort William to their programmes.
The second, is the creation of The Telford Marina at Corpach; a fully serviced yacht haven together with a public slipway. This will provide a marina for 40 yachts and small motor vessels, bringing increased visitors to the area without putting extra pressure on the roads and accommodation.
To support business growth and to generate further local skills and employment Corpach Boatbuilders are increasing the size and facilities of their boatyard to include a third slipway, enabling larger ships to be maintained and repaired locally, and consequently more quickly than having to use the Clyde shipyards and in some cases sending boats back to Norway for refit. This will support Marine Harvest (Scotland) Ltd and others in the fish farming industry; BSW Timber Ltd; and the general movement of heavy machinery and construction materials for infrastructure projects as well as new investments such as those planned by Liberty Group who recently purchased the Fort William aluminium smelter.. Also based at Corpach, and integral to the waterfront development are Lochaber Chamber Premium Members Ferguson Transport and Shipping Ltd, Great Glen Shipping Company and Boyd Haulage Ltd.
By creating a world class transport hub using the marine waterways that converge at Fort William, the second largest town in the Highlands, benefits would accrue for everyone as new jobs would be created, the main village of Corpach would have reduced traffic and pollution, and the roads would become less congested year round as we continue to attract increasing visitor numbers to Lochaber, the Outdoor Capital of the UK.
