Kishorn Port in the Scottish Highlands has secured up to £24 million in public funding to support a major expansion aimed at enabling large-scale floating offshore wind development, the Scottish Government announced on Tuesday.
The funding package, part of a wider £42 million investment in Phase 1a of the port’s redevelopment, will be delivered by Highlands and Islands Enterprise. It was unveiled by Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes during a visit to the site.
The first phase of the expansion will include dry dock enlargement and land reclamation, with plans to use material from Kishorn’s adjacent quarry to support the manufacture of floating wind foundations.
“This funding is key to us delivering the development, which will enable Kishorn to play a pivotal role in the delivery of offshore wind projects in Scotland and elsewhere,” Kishorn Port Ltd said in a statement.
The upgraded port is expected to support up to 1,500 jobs across Wester Ross and the wider Highlands region once complete. The construction phase, which is scheduled to last 18 months, is forecast to create 84 direct jobs.
Scottish civil engineering contractor RJ McLeod will lead construction work, with engineering and consultancy services provided by Wallace Stone, Affric, and Leapmoor.
Kishorn Port Ltd said the development positions the facility to meet growing demand in both the floating wind and decommissioning markets, with interest already being shown by potential industry partners.