The new year promises to be an exciting and challenging one for Lochaber's leisure marine business, Arisaig Marine Ltd, with a major upgrade of their harbour facilities planned to take place in time for the 2008 summer season.

The £140,000 project will see a spacious new boatshed and small slipway built at picturesque Arisaig Harbour where the well established company are based. A £28,000 building grant towards the cost of the project has been awarded by HIE Lochaber.

HIE Lochaber development manager Helen Cameron said that they had been delighted to support the re-development. She commented: "This project will provide the quality and range of facilities which yacht owners expect nowadays. It will also modernise and improve the efficiency of an established business in a remote area of Lochaber and enable them to take advantage of the growing niche market of marine leisure tourism."

She added that the improvement work would further reinforce Lochaber's reputation as the 'Outdoor Capital of the UK.'

Established over 30 years ago by Murdo Grant, Arisaig Marine has been run for the last four years by his daughter, Susan Grant and fellow director, Graham Maclellan. Ms Grant said they would have been unable to progress their development plans had it not been for the assistance of the local enterprise company.

"We've made quite a few changes over the years to our equipment including providing a pontoon and causeway, but this will be the first time that any major structural work has been carried out. Our present buildings have been there since the 1970s and are in drastic need of replacing," she said.

"We're really very excited about the project which is the first phase in a series of improvements we are planning. We eventually hope to build a new harbour office with a chandlery, showers and laundry facilities. We feel leisure boating is a growing pastime and want to be ready to meet the demand. Over the last few years our business has steadily increased. We can't compete with bigger marinas but we feel we offer a personal service possibly lacking in larger operation and which our customers enjoy."

Arisaig Marine specialises in the leisure cruising market, offering 60 summer moorings, private charters, winter boat storage and a boat repair service in addition to running a small chandlery. During the summer the company runs cruises to the Small Isles on their boat, 'MV Sheerwater' which also doubles as an essential ferry service for island residents."

A study into the marine leisure industry commissioned last year by HIE Lochaber identified it as a growing sector worldwide. The study concluded that better facilities were required in order to attract yacht owners to the area.

For more info on Arisaig Marine go to www.arisaig.co.uk