Celebrating new slipway at Portskerra
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For the past 14 months members of Portskerra Harbour Association (PHA) have been working to raise money to help them refurbish the slip and create a hardstanding for turning.
The group was given £15,000 towards the project by SSE; £1000 from Northern District Salmon Fishery Board; £2500 from Highland Council; and £500 in a micro grant from Melvich Community Council.
Reay contractor Angus Forbes completed the work and the village has already seen an increase in use of the slipway.
Around 40 people joined SSE community fund manager Fiona Morrison and local Highland councillor Linda Munro to see the official wraps come off the venture last Thursday.
PHA is now looking to complete a second phase of works on the slipway, then to the possibility of a community takeover of the village harbour and its refurbishment.
PHA chairman David Hodge is a commercial fisherman from Ayrshire who now lives in Portskerra.
He said the work has brought commercial fishing back into the village.
He said: “I have been coming up for 20 years to Portskerra and in those 20 years nothing really seemed to be getting done to the slipway.
“Donald Thompson, Willie Grant, Jim Mackenzie and I made the project happen.
“We got together and went to SSE and various other bodies around the area and managed to secure funding for the work.
“We’re very grateful to Melvich Community Council which let us use its bank account until we got ours up and running.
“In between times, an elderly gentleman, who owned the piece of land at the top of the slipway, died.
“The couple who had bought his house did not want the land so local lawyer Jane Quirie asked if we would like the piece of land for the PHA because we’re a community group.
“It was a nice gesture to be given the piece of ground.”
PHA’s membership is about 15 boat owners.
Caithness Diving Club and Pentland Canoe Club use the slipway as well as a number of other people.
Mr Hodge said more layers have been poured on to the surface.
“Basically, what we’ve done is put more concrete down at the bottom. Initially it was a marsh area and when you parked a 4x4 you needed another one to pull it out.
“Before, we would have to wait for the tide but now we’re only really missing an hour. We can get in and out at most stages of the tide.
“We’ve still got a wee bit of work to do on it and it’s still early days.
“But it’s brought commercial fishing back into the village.
“If nothing else it’s a matter of safety.”
Further work will include making a small landing jetty to make access easier for the elderly.
Mr Hodge said: “It’s a great project.
We are looking at the harbour and are in negotiations with Highland Council about a community takeover of it.
“Harbours and war memorials are the main focal points in all fishing communities.
“There are two commercial boats along with myself working out of the slip now.
“It’s great that it’s all come together.”
He added: “Divers tell me the Portskerra shoreline is one of the top three dive sites in Scotland because it’s got caves you could park a double-decker bus in and the sea life is phenomenal. Tourists are coming to visit.
“The slipway is an asset for the village.
“We’ve had a donation towards the cause from the oldest boat owner in Portskerra who told us we were doing a grand job and to keep going.
“It was very heartening to see so many people turn out the other day from all ages of the community.”
