One of Scotland’s leading salmon producers is committing a further £4.4 million to marine infrastructure, backing jobs and specialist skills across the North East and West Coast.
Bakkafrost Scotland has awarded a £3.5 million contract to Macduff Shipyards in Aberdeenshire to build a bespoke moorings and heavy site works vessel, alongside a £0.9 million refurbishment project with Bute Boat Builders.
The new 21-metre by nine-metre vessel, due for delivery in September 2027, will support moorings work across the company’s farm sites. Designed with specialist lifting and towing equipment, as well as thrusters for improved manoeuvrability, it aims to enhance safety and efficiency for crews operating around pens.
The Macduff contract is expected to support around 250 jobs and more than 10 apprenticeships, while also generating work across the wider north-east marine supply chain.
Separately, Bute Boat Builders will refurbish a feed barge for deployment at the company’s Loch Fyne site. The project includes structural cleaning, removal of damaged components, and mechanical and electrical upgrades. Equipment from a smaller barge will also be reused, with the completed vessel set to deliver a feed capacity of 300 tonnes.
Bakkafrost Scotland said the investment would strengthen resilience across its marine operations while supporting skilled employment in coastal communities.
The latest contracts build on more than £11 million already invested with Macduff Shipyards, and bring the company’s total spend with Bute Boat Builders to around £7.2 million across seven vessels, including the recently delivered £1.2 million landing craft, Spirit of Bute.
Ian Laister, managing director of Bakkafrost Scotland, said the projects reflect the company’s long-term commitment to Scotland’s marine sector.
“These latest projects are another significant investment in our marine operations and in the skilled businesses that support salmon farming around Scotland’s coast,” he said.
“The new vessel has been designed around the day-to-day needs of our farming operations and will strengthen our capability across farm sites for years to come.
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“At the same time, the refurbishment work on Bute shows how existing assets can be repurposed and returned to service through the expertise that exists within Scotland’s marine sector.
“As a business rooted in coastal communities, it is important to us that we continue backing the people, yards, and supply chains that play such an important role in our operations.”
