Pier future in spotlight as timber operations shift
THE FUTURE of Ardrishaig Pier is under review as timber hauliers shift operations to Ardcastle.
Following the collapse of a section of the pier last month, the owners, Scottish Canals, will assess the future of harbour facilities in Ardrishaig while thousands of tonnes of timber are being shipped to Ardcastle, eight miles up Loch Fyne.
A spokesperson for Scottish Canals said: ‘Our engineers are working up options in respect of the repair and potential improvements to the area of failure and the wider pier infrastructure and services.’
The overall harbour facilities at Ardrishaig, which are used by a number of different organisations, will also be under consideration.
The spokesperson continued: ‘We are also liaising with Associated British Ports, Argyll Timber Transport Group and the wider timber industry to fully understand the potential future demand for pier and harbour facilities at Ardrishaig. This information will be of significant value in influencing the scope of works, and associated costs.’
Scottish Canals, a public body also responsible for managing the adjacent Crinan Canal, said that it knows how important the pier is to the timber industry and is working to provide a solution as soon as possible. All timber haulage activity at Ardrishaig has now been transferred to a shipping facility at Ardcastle, operated by private haulage company JST Services.
Neil Stoddart, general manager at JST, said: ‘We have moved our port handling machine from Ardrishaig to the “in forest” timber shipping facility that we had been constructing at Ardcastle, Lochgair. Construction and development of this facility was to complement Ardrishaig, but has now proved to be a vital part of maintaining the timber supply chain.’
The floating pier at Ardcastle cost JST £500,000 to develop and is used solely for moving timber in and out of the area.
Asked whether this is a long-term fix for Argyll timber haulage, Neil commented: ‘It’s
very difficult to say if this will be permanent as we never set out to replace Ardrishaig, just to supplement it.’
Local hauliers are now using the facility at Ardcastle. However, Forestry Commission Scotland has suggested that some timber may need to be transported by road.
A spokesperson for Forestry Commission Scotland said: ‘Some timber from forests furTHE thest away from Ardcastle might head to Campbeltown. Local road users will see a slightly adjusted business as usual, so there should be no appreciable difference in the number or frequency of timber lorry traffic.
‘We expect Scottish Canals to report on potential solutions to the Ardrishaig pier collapse in the near future,’ the spokesperson continued, ‘and we will review the position at that time.’