Private ferry firms' passenger surge
THE number of passengers who used the Gills and John O’Groats ferries to Orkney last year exceeded those using the Scrabster service for what is thought to be the first time.
Figures from Orkney Islands Council reveal that in 2011, 45,000 people sailed on the Pentland Venture with 101,000 on the Pentalina and over 130,000 on the Hamnavoe.
The combined statistics for the Gills and Groats ferries gives a total of 146,000 – 16,000 more than Scrabster.
“The figures show that more traffic was coming through Gills and John O’Groats than Scrabster. That is a fact and is good news for this side of the county,” said John Green, vice-chairman of Gills Harbour Ltd and the chairman of Dunnet and Canisbay Community Council.
“Gills and Groats are privately run and privately funded but can still compete with Scrabster which is subsidised by the Government. We are not competing on an even keel but even though the private sector is doing well.”
He pointed out Gills currently employs about 15 people, although some of them work on a part-time basis.
“There are about five to six people working in the café and three to four in the office,” he said.
Mr Green thought the figures for the current year may be down on 2011 as it has “not been a great tourist season so far”.
Meanwhile, he told the John O’Groat Journal “a useful meeting” has been held with an engineering company which has expressed an interest in helping develop plans at Gills.
Mr Green said the company volunteered to speak to harbour representatives about the construction of east and north piers which could boost Gills’ plans to serve the renewables industry in the Inner Sound area.MeyGen Ltd plans to submerge up to 400 turbines in the Inner Sound and generate enough energy to power 400,000 homes. Construction is expected to take place on a phased basis until 2020.
MeyGen also intends to construct three onshore buildings close to the foreshore at Ness of Quoys.
They are estimated to cost over £2.5 million and will house special equipment to take the power from the subsea cables. “Things are beginning to move but I think it will be a couple of years before we see devices in the water,” added Mr Green.