Harbour News

The harbour had a busy week with non-fishing traffic, and a modest increase in whitefish landings.

Whitefish landings totaled 1460 boxes from 1 Scottish and 1 Spanish trawler and a Spanish liner. The INS registered Adventurer landed a small shot of mixed groundfish from Rockall; the anticipated autumn haddock fishery has yet to materialize this year forcing the fleet to fish for monkfish and ling.  The Spanish trawler Atlantic E landed a good shot of witches of the liner Norte an excellent landing of ling.

The shellfish fleet has had mixed fortunes, the regular crab boats landed 37 tonnes for the week, once again market prices were very poor.  The local prawn fleet has had a very stiff time of it over the past couple of months with most of the boats remaining in port due to lack of prawns.

Non-fishing traffic was the busiest sector for the week with 6 arrivals; the MCA tug Anglian Prince called in for stores, the smolt carrier Ronja Viking in for a survey and the bulk carrier Red Duchess in with 800 tonnes of road salt.

Three cruise ships called in over the period with each one experiencing a very different highland welcome due solely to the unpredictable weather we have experienced of late.  The German owned 21,000GRT cruise ship Delphin Voyager arrived to the skirl of the pipes on a lovely Tuesday morning, 7 coaches took 280 passengers on half day excursions to Knockan Crag and Corrieshalloch Gorge / Gruinard Bay.  The village was busy all day with both passengers and crew spending time strolling along the streets in the sunshine.  The following Friday the Hebridean Princess called in with 49 passengers, on a day of driving wind and rain needless to say the majority stayed onboard until the vessel sailed in the afternoon.  Today (8^th) the German owned 20,018GRT cruise ship Albatros arrived with 680 passengers, the vessel anchored in the bay at 0800hrs to allow passengers to have a look at Ullapool and eat their breakfasts in peace.  With a poor forecast and strengthening winds the skipper decided that tendering passengers ashore was out of the question and cancelled the port call setting sail for Belfast, the next port on the ships itinerary.

 This year 3 of the existing Trustees have reached the end of their term and must stand down and either reapply or retire from their seat on the Board of Ullapool Harbour Trustees.

See advert for details on how to apply; Closing Date Noon 25^th September 2009.