Highlands Fabricators Ltd - Nigg - August 2009

Hi everyone, be gentle with me as this is my first report.

Hubby and I were having a little jolly on the east coast and while waiting for the ferry from Nigg to Cromarty, we were parked right beside the Highlands Fabricators yard – or the welding school to be more precise.

Only had a point and click camera with me and not able to miss the ferry, so these are taken from outside the perimeter fence but it looks a great site and might be of some interest for further exploration by others in the Highland contingent. (Note for future: would love to join you guys but being built more for comfort than high fences and dodgy floors – I’ll stick to “through the fence” shots for now!)

So, a little bit of background:

Highlands Fabricators Ltd was part of the huge oil and gas terminal building industry based around the Cromarty Firth. Known as Hi-Fab, the yard opened in 1972 and at its height employed around 5000 people from all over the Highlands. For 30 years, the success of the business could be seen by anyone travelling in the area but the number of rigs lined up in the firth awaiting repairs.

The last major contract was completed in 1999.

Although there have been plans submitted to re-open at least part of the operation to bring jobs to the area, the ownership of the site is split and no-one has been able to offer a solution which meets the approval of both parties.

The situation has even been raised in the Westminster Parliament by local MP, Charles Kennedy but I was unable to find any information about positive moves forward although it has been suggested that the size of the dock and space available would make the site ideal for producing giant wind turbines.

The whole site extends to some 240 acres – I have just captured a few shots of the welding school which is based right at the Nigg Ferry terminal.




















Grafitti



Moving gear by the ferry slipway




Ferry - used by workers in the past but now mainly a tourist treat



Looking back towards the site from the ferry



There’s a lovely article here written by a lady who actually trained and worked here from 1973: http://www.cromartylivingbythesea.co.uk/Interviewees-g.asp?intent=show&aid=53

More pics in my photobucket: http://s876.photobucket.com/albums/ab326/Misstee_reports/Hi-Fab Aug 09/

Thanks for looking.

Nice report and pics, Miss.
Any idea what the building was in a previous life? I'm intrigued by the camouflage paint on the shore side.

Hi Historian

I was researching it today before I posted the report and mostly found reposrts and references relating to the closure. However, there is a pill box on the quay right by ferry slip (seperate report) so there must've been a WW2 connection. I'll keep searching and post anything interesting I find.

http://www.niggyard.com/brochurepdf/niggyardsiteplan.pdf
Just found this link for the sale of the yard – puts my pics into perspective – the bit I was looking at was “B” on the plan…!

Zimbob and Bryag are your men for real info – I’ve seen a report by them on another site - this is their neck of the woods, I was just on my jollies.

Arrrrr, you've been on the Pirate vessel

This was an MTB (Motor Torpedo Boat) base back in the day, there's still a bit left to see, including the original magazine, with the remnants of the internal railway that served it - you may have noticed these running out onto the jetty by the the Ferry slip...

It was built just before WW1 IIRC, and was given up in 1956, as were the batteries nearby. It was taken over by the fabrication yard and used a welding school until around 1999, and there are many remains of this still in place. Hope that helps

There's a cracking couple of gun batteries on either side of the Firth too, loads to see in this neck of the woods

Ah, cheers Miss and Zimbob.

Thanks Zimbob

I've found a few more of your reports now about this area. We go over to the East Coast for a few days when we get chance so would be good to track a few more down. Hubby can spot birds and I can hunt WW1&2 defences.

I'm really chuffed about the torpedo connection though - really hadn't realised. Even hubby was impressed when I told him. Thanks for the info.

Misstee said:

Thanks Zimbob

I've found a few more of your reports now about this area. We go over to the East Coast for a few days when we get chance so would be good to track a few more down. Hubby can spot birds and I can hunt WW1&2 defences.

I'm really chuffed about the torpedo connection though - really hadn't realised. Even hubby was impressed when I told him. Thanks for the info.

Click to expand...

Hi Mistee,

If you ever fancy seeing the Sutors, there is plenty of bird life on the north cliffs to satisfy the most avid twitcher. Similarly there are some very good examples of WWI and WWII coastal batteries. The cliffs are quite treacherous, so do be careful if you venture. Also, if the weather is warm, ensure you (unlike us) take plenty of fluids (the hills are rather steep!)
The South side is a little less easy to access, as a little climbing is required, and you will need a Bryag decoy to distract the wild boar

Update on the future of this site from today's Press and Journal:

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1379749/

Former Hifab Training School

Hi Ive been interested in this site since I was a child holidaying there (1960's!) and now live nearby.
The building has become VERY dangerous,substantial further damage appearing after recent high winds.
Ironically, it seems that the building and its wonderful MOD perimiter fencing might have lasted many more years if it hadnt been abandoned in such a seemingly careless and wasteful manner.
Id does, of course, still wear a fine coat of wartime camouflage paint. I believe it was used for minearming mines originally. However -
reason Ive posted is that whilst walking our pooch (which has a bad habit of "straying" into this and other similar "sites"), Ive recently noticed something I thought might be of interest, and which Id love to learn more about if anyone here can help :-
On the North West facing perimiter, outside the fencing and just behind the two abandoned cottages, due to the prescence of thousands of rabbits I suppose, a fairly major subsidence has occurred, leaving a gaping "hole" some 10-15 feet deep. This "hole" seems to be an underground structure, or at least part thereof. I think there may be an underground mine/bomb "shelter" north of this (huge concrete structure) but I can find no reference to it in the otherwise quite detailed notes found within the usual rahms records etc - could it possibly be a former air raid shelter?
I remember the pier as having a further projection,right angles to the present one, and that it still had a crane extant, this ran I think on the railway lines (two on the "lost" bit of pier). My father I think told me that the railway lines were used to transport the mines onto the pier for loading onto craft.
One memory of this place is of seeing the Royal Yaught Brittannia tied up on the pier.
Hope the above some interest and that perhaps someone might have some ideas re the "hole".