Cromarty Firth - 'Deep Energy', October 2017

Constructed in 2013, the Deep Energy is one of the largest pipelay vessels ever built.

She has the capacity to install rigid pipe, flexible pipe and umbilicals in water depths up to 3,000 m via the reel-lay method.  

With a fast transit speed of 19.5 knots, high product storage capacity and an abandonment and recovery system rated to 500 Te, she can operate on North Sea and on Intercontinental projects. 

Here she is spooling on pipe at Technip's Evanston Spool Base.  The Cromarty road crossing can clearly be seen in the background.

Deep Energy - Evanston Spool Base.

Yankee Pier - Dalmore, October 2017

During WW1 the American Navy took over Dalmore Distillery and used it as a mine base.  

The so-called ‘Yankee Pier’ still juts out into the firth.  In the 1930s the RAF’s presence grew.  

Alness became a training base for flying boats.  In 1938 228 Squadron with Saro Londons and Stranraers came to the firth from Pembroke Dock and this was followed in October 1939 by 210 Squadron of Sunderlands and Catalina  Flying boats.  

By 1941 4C OUT was fully established at Alness with the officers based at Dalmore House and the ’tech site’ and repair and maintenance area at Alness Point becoming a very busy strategic point for training and North Sea surveillance.   Short Sunderlands had a crew of 13 and by 1942 the OUT was producing 22 trained crews a month.

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Yankee Pier looking toward Nigg Energy Port.

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Dalmore Pier