The shipyard in Buckie in east Moray is to benefit from a major new development costing more than £1.5m and safeguarding at least 50 full-time jobs.

Moray Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise (MBSE), part of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) network, has today (Tuesday) announced the support package involving Buckie Shipyard Limited (BSL).

This will see the demolition and rebuilding of a 1,600 square metre facility with state-of-the-art, 10m-high painting booth, a slipway, and the purchase of new boat-lifting equipment.

As well as underpinning the existing 54 full-time jobs at the yard, the project is expected to create around another 20 full-time jobs over time, as well as bringing work for local contractors.

The Buckie yards have been a familiar feature of the east Moray town for more than a hundred years.  The bulk of their work has been in servicing the fleet of local fishing boats, but following the decline in this fleet the yard hit hard times and went into receivership in 1996.

The yards were then bought by the Lithgow Group, which formed Buckie Shipyard Limited and the company diversified into other markets. While BSL still handles fishing vessels from around the north and north east coast and from Ireland, the company now also services MoD vessels, oil supply boats, tugs, ferries and, most notably, lifeboats.

The yard has had a close association with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) for many decades.  It is one of only three yards in the UK capable of meeting the service needs of the largest class of lifeboat, the 'Severn', and maintains a team of dedicated and highly trained employees specialising in the total refit of lifeboats.

But limited and deteriorating facilities are making it increasingly difficult for the yard to hold on to much of this market, particularly the lifeboats, and there have been fears that the work could eventually be lost to more advanced yards in England.  Such a move would have most likely resulted in the closure of the Buckie yard.

The MBSE announcement was welcomed by BSL chief executive, Bill Carson.  "This is great news for the Buckie yards, which have been a familiar feature of Buckie for a great many years.  Maintaining this presence has been very challenging, particularly in recent years. 

"The announcement today secures the company's future and the jobs of those who work here.  It is also good news for the local economy and local contractors.  The new facility, which includes a state-of-the-art, controlled environment painting spray-booth, will ensure that Buckie Shipyard is capable of meeting the highest industry standards.  We can now look forward with the confidence necessary to meet the needs of our customers and develop existing and new markets."

The bulk of the MBSE money will be used to acquire sites from both BSL and The Moray Council, demolish and rebuild facilities that will then be rented back to BSL on a 20-year agreement.

Announcing the package, Douglas Yule, chief executive of MBSE, said:  "The Buckie Shipyard is a major contributor to the East Moray economy, providing skilled and valuable engineering jobs as well as training opportunities for apprenticeships.  I am delighted that we are able to make this substantial investment for the area. As well as consolidating existing client service agreements, the upgraded facilities will provide a platform for growth for BSL.  This is good news for BSL, good news for its clients and good news for Buckie and east Moray."

In recognition of the significance of the project, Moray Council vice convener, Councillor Bill Jappy, said: "We welcome this major new initiative in Buckie, which is why The Moray Council will be spending up to £50,000 to strengthen Commercial Road between the Harbour and the new refit shed.  The lifeboat contract will go a long way towards helping to keep valuable engineering jobs in Buckie, which is all the more important given the decline in the fishing fleet which is affecting the whole of the North East of Scotland." 

Work should begin on the development within the next month with completion due in the spring of next year.