Kishorn Port will throw open its gates to the public next month to mark 50 years since the creation of the famous former oil fabrication yard in Wester Ross.
The birthday bash will see two days of celebrations on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th November to include open days and tours at the yard, followed by an exhibition of memorabilia and a grand cèilidh in Lochcarron.
Kishorn Port Ltd is extending a welcome to ex-workers, members of the community and further afield to enjoy guided tours of the port, dry dock and yard on the Friday from 10am to 2pm and on Saturday from 9am to 3pm.
Running on the Saturday, 10am to 2pm, in Lochcarron Village Hall will be an exhibition spotlighting the history of the yard and its legendary “Kishorn Commandos”, the nickname given to the over 3,000 workers who built the massive Ninian Central oil platform there in the 1970s.
Sure to stir memories, it will feature photographs, artefacts and memorabilia from the boom days of Kishorn yard when it was constructing the 600,000-tonne concrete platform for Chevron Petroleum.
At the time, it was the largest man-made object to be moved across the Earth.
The weekend will conclude with a celebration cèilidh on Saturday night from 8pm until midnight in Lochcarron Village Hall with music from the Cast Ewe Cèilidh Band.
In the new era, Kishorn Port is undergoing a £42.2million expansion to prepare it for playing a major role in delivering offshore wind projects.
The development will see the size of the port’s dry dock increased and land reclaimed to create capacity for the manufacture of concrete floating offshore wind foundations.
Alasdair Ferguson, MD of Kishorn Port Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating the incredible milestone of 50 years since the opening of the large dry dock, port and Kishorn yard.
“The facilities have come a long way since the early 1970s and we are now entering into an extremely exciting phase of developments, which will future proof the yard for decades to come, serving the energy sector and playing our part with floating offshore wind and the energy security for the future. Also not forgetting the purpose the yard was built for in the first place – the oil and gas sector to support the assets that are working in the North Sea and beyond as well as in decommissioning when required.
“Meantime, we reflect on the heydays of the Kishorn Commandos, the Welly Boot bar and the camaraderie shown with all the workers who played their part in building what proved to be one of the largest man-made objects to move across the face of the Earth.”
