Cromarty Firth can be used for mooring up to 15 Oil Platforms, at any one time, in northern Scotland, for repair, maintenance, storage or dismantling. The rigs, both drilling or production types, are anchored within a short distance of the shore, are very striking in appearance and make fascinating photographic subjects.
At the widest part, comprising Cromarty Bay and Nigg Bay, the Firth is nearly 5 miles across and these are the shores where the principal communities of Invergordon, Cromarty and Nigg are located. The Firth provides a large area of deep-water anchorage that led to the British Navy basing the Home Fleet at Invergordon during WW1 and WW2. In addition, a Navy Airfield was established at Evanton, as a base for Catalina / Sunderland seaplane training, as well as storage for carrier-based aircraft when the mother ship was in port for maintenance.
Nowadays Invergordon is the location of the facilities used by the Cromarty Firth Port Authority, providing maritime maintenance, oil processing, oil platform build / maintenance and anchorage for visiting ocean liners. At Nigg there is another facility for North Sea Oil and Renewable Energy applications, based upon a dry dock and fabrication shops, along with an oil storage depot. Manufacture and shipment of wind turbines is also carried out at the Nigg Energy Park, as the plant is known.
Footnote (April 2020): the number of oil rigs moored in Cromarty Firth has increased to 17 with the possibility of a further 5 to be added, subject to approval.
To view the “Cromarty” Image Set in the Shop click below:
