FACILITIES

The Port of Inverness is vibrant, continually expanding to facilitate ever-increasing volumes and types of trades. Over the last year the port handled significant quantities of cargo, with upwards of 358 vessels visiting the port.

Imports

Inverness is a major distribution centre for imported fuel oils to the whole of the north of Scotland. Imports of fuel oil topped 450,000 tonnes.

Packaged timber is another major import, with 125,000 tonnes landed last year from Sweden and Latvia/Estonia for onward distribution throughout Scotland and the United Kingdom.

A further 100,000 tonnes of imports comprise road salt for Highland Council and Transerve; coal of differing types/grades from the continent; baled paper pulp from Russia/Finland and Portugal; roofing slates from Spain; grain from many European ports; sugar beet; and stone (granite).

Exports The principal export from the port, almost 100,000 tonnes last year (85 per cent of total exports), is sterling board as manufactured locally at Norbord. This is shipped throughout the year, particularly to the Low Countries. Other exports include potatoes, salmon smolts, machinery, barley, rapeseed, pulpwood and woodchips. A recent development has been the export of liquidised fish waste from Scottish fish farms to Norway, for onward processing into fertiliser.

Storage facilities

Inverness has extensive covered and open storage available.
Covered storage:
Longman Quay – three modern transit sheds, of floor areas 1,210/1,238/1,680 square metres (total 4,128 square metres); one canopy adjacent to No 3 Shed, of covered area 1,200 square metres
Open storage (paved):
Longman Quay – amounting to 16,000 square metres
Citadel/Shore Street – amounting to 3,600 square metres