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JOINT NEWS RELEASE - Northern Lighthouse Board & Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Northern Lighthouse Board and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar move
to enhance safety on Sound of Harris Ferry Route
This week the Northern Lighthouse Board’s ship MV POLE STAR will lay a new navigational buoy in the Sound of Harris. This buoy, fitted with the NLB's newest lantern and powered by solar energy will mark a dangerous rock, Bo Stainan, on the approaches to Leverburgh.This is the first stage of a schedule of enhancements to this strategically important route. For the past year, the Northern Lighthouse Board and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar have been working closely together to improve the navigational marking in the Sound of Harris. This has included a thorough risk assessment of the route utilising the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) guidelines and specially commissioned hydrographic surveys using the latest technologies available today. In addition, there has been extensive liaison with Caledonian MacBrayne operational staff whose input is critical to the success of the project.
The laying of the buoy marks the handover of responsibility from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar to the Northern Lighthouse Board for Aids to Navigation on the ferry route. This work has been supplemented by a substantial grant from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.
As the General Lighthouse Authority for Scotland and the Isle of Man the Northern Lighthouse Board is responsible for the superintendence and management of all lighthouses, buoys and beacons throughout Scotland and the adjacent seas and islands and the Isle of Man.
The Board's Navigational & Business Development Manager Kieran Nash said “we continuously seek feedback on the provision of aids to navigation in our waters and were delighted to receive the request from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar to expand the safety of navigation within the Sound of Harris”.
To mark the occasion a small ceremony took place on 15 March involving Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s Chair of Transport Donald Manford, Convener Alex MacDonald, Director of Technical Services Murdo Murray, Harbour Master Calum Macleod and from the Northern Lighthouse Board Commissioner Captain David Cowell and the Board’s Navigational & Business Development Manager Kieran Nash.
The Convenor of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar said “Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has worked tirelessly over the past 10 years with the Scottish Executive and the Development Agencies to provide navigable passage for vehicular ferries across the Sound of Barra and the Sound of Harris.I am delighted that the Northern Lighthouse Board is now taking on the future responsibility for these routes and by installing additional buoyage, to which the Comhairle is contributing, will enhance the safe operation of the Inter Island ferry services and general navigation in these areas.”
The Director of Technical Services also added his delight and stated that the installation of additional buoyage would hopefully lead to an extension of the operating hours on the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services Loch Portain and Loch Bhrusda.