Ex McDermott Scotland workers gather at Haventus-owned Ardersier Port to unveil new feature commemorating yard’s past
Memories flowed in Ardersier on Thursday as a group of former workers of what was once the area’s major employer gathered to mark the unveiling of a new display.
Former employees of McDermott’s fabrication yard came together once again, more than 25 years after the site was closed, for the presentation of a set of informative panels explaining the history and significance of the site, as well as a cairn commemorating the lives of eight workers who died at the site.
The display, made possible by the efforts of the McDermott Scotland Heritage Association — a small group of ex-employees — was funded by current port owners, Haventus as well as McDermott International and the former directors of the Tulloch Group.
Don Wright, former managing director at the yard and lead behind the project said it was great to see such an important part of history for the area remembered.
“The whole thing started out with a conversation between me and Brian Urquhart, who used to be a steward back in the day,” he explained.
“The 50th anniversary of the yard being built was coming up, but nothing had been done to record the fact that it had been here. It was kind of sad — the new owners were planning other things for the yard, and all that we had done over the time we worked here had been forgotten about.
“We got going and started work on creating something which would remind us of what went on here.”
The original planning application submitted by Haventus initially incorporated a heritage centre and cafe, however this was eventually changed to include a commemorative feature at the entrance of the port for the public to see.
The Ardersier fabrication yard was established in 1972 to construct oil production platforms for the North Sea and had a significant impact on the local economy, with Nairn at the centre of the activity.
Well-paid jobs and training were provided to thousands of local workers, some of whom relocated to the area permanently. At its peak, 4,500 workers were employed in the yard. Over 28 years, numerous large structures weighing over 600,000 tonnes combined were delivered to the North Sea and beyond. The yard was however closed permanently in 2001.
“We are delighted, it’s been three years in the making and a lot of work went into gathering and selecting the photographs and making the boards to show.
“To see some of these guys, I haven’t seen some of them since we closed more than 25 years ago, so it’s nice
“The impact that the yard had on the local community and economy at the time was incredible. People came from all over to work and live in the area, as it offered thousands of jobs. In fact many of the people who are here today moved here to work at McDermott, and never left.”
Former welder and supervisor Billy Lowrie, who was there on the day, said his years at the yard were a wonderful experience, which set him up for life.
He said: “It’s great to see and I hope that with Haventus, it brings the same amount of opportunities to young people as it did for us.“
George McDonough, who worked at the site for almost 20 years, said it was great to be back to see what the new owner of the port is doing.
“It was very good and it was good for the economy of the area. The yard provided a lot of help for a lot of people at the right time. I enjoyed my life here.”
Many memories from the old days at the yard were shared on the day — from workers arriving on motorbikes at the yard, to the first microwaves being introduced in the canteen on site, to the American workers who helped build the yard in the first years they arrived, along other aspects of daily life in and around the Ardersier facility.
A website dedicated to the yard’s history is also expected to go live in April, with pictures and documents provided by the Highland Archive Centre.
