A positive outlook has been painted over the future of a Moray shipyard forced into closure last month with the loss of 68 jobs.
Scotland’s enterprise minister, Fergus Ewing MSP, was in the town on Monday for meetings with representatives from Moray Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. He later met with the shipyard administrators, RSM Tenon.
Mr Ewing emerged from the talks confident that the yard has potential to thrive, insisting that the closure might actually be the herald of new opportunities for Buckie.
He said: “The news that Buckie Shipyard had gone into administration was devastating for all the staff concerned, but working together with the council, HIE and Skills Development Scotland we are doing everything possible to help those who have lost their jobs.
“We will now consider the wider agenda and economic development of Buckie and Moray as a whole. The overall message is that there is a lot to be positive about.
“Offshore renewables is perhaps a few years off but we are working to explore other opportunities in the oil and gas industries.”
The minister repeated the message from local MP Angus Robertson last week that there had been “considerable interest” in the shipyard site, while a number of those who had been made redundant had already found new jobs.
A Scottish Government initiative that supports those affected by redundancy, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE), is to hold an event in Buckie tomorrow (Wednesday). That will be held in the Marine Hotel from 10am until 2.30pm.