An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Sruth > Volume 2 > No. 61, 24 July 1969

BI-LINGUAL NEWSPAPER OF CURRENT EVENTS IN THE HIGHLANDS AND THE ISLANDS AND IN SCOTLAND
Leanaibh
gu dluth
ri cliu bhur
sinnsir
Follow in the footsteps of your forebears
NATIONAL SAVINGS
National Savings Certificates
Post Office Savings Bank
Trustee Savings Banks
ever before.
The now silent Brora Coal Mine by mid-winter will be
The faith and perseverance of the miner-owners pays off.
BRORA STRIKE IT
RICH
At a press conference on
Tuesday, Mr George Barclay,
the colliery manager, ac¬
companied by Professor Sir
Robert Grieve and Mr John
Rollo, chairman and vice-
chairman of the HIDE res¬
pectively, announced that a
new coal seam was discovered
a fortnight ago.
“ We know now that there
is coal in abundance,” he
said, “ I’m absolutey certain
there is enough for 400 or
500 years.”
The existence of a new
seam was established some
months back. This was esti¬
mated to add a further 40
years to the life of the coal¬
mine.
It was while digging to¬
wards this seam that the
Ininers struck their klondyke
much nearer the surface and
4 ft. 6 ins deep as compared
with the 3 ft. of the one
aimed for. Geologists had
forecast such a field from
surface features but its ex¬
istence is now firmly estab¬
lished.
The extra depth of this
seam adds 25 per cent, to
the mine’s production with¬
out increasing the labour
force.
Rumours are rife that the
new seam is Grade I coal
suitable for the very lucra¬
tive house coal market. Mr
Barclay would not comment
on these rumours.
However, as Mr John
Rollo said, markets are “ no
problem." The guaranteed
weekly market at present is
350 tons and subject to satis¬
factory analysis of the new
coal a further 150 tons could
be added to the weekly total.
The Brora coal mine will
again go into full production
by mid-winter — three to
four months earlier than
planned. The anticipated in¬
flux of people \ into Easter
Ross should help boost sales
considerably.
Work had already begun
on sinking two drifts west of
the old pit-head to tap an
8,000,000 tons coalfield when
the mine was closed recently.
The main working of the
coal mine will now be con¬
centrated on the new 4 ft.
6 ins. seam which was struck
a mere 86 ft. below the sur¬
face.
Professor Grieve commen¬
ted on the contribution the
colliery was making in pro¬
viding 30 jobs in an area
where it would be difficult to
provide alternative employ¬
ment. This represented some
100 people^ dependent on the
colliery.
Mr Barclay was unwilling
to comment on the possibility
of more labour being em¬
ployed at present. The de¬
tails of the industry’s train¬
ing scheme have still to be
finalised also. It is, however,
considered ..likely that addi¬
tions to the labour force ma^
be necessary.
The Highlands and Islands
Development Board are pro¬
viding financial assistance to
a total value of £100,000 for
the new development.
ADVANCE FACTORY
FOR THURSO
The 6000 ft. advance fac¬
tory promised for Caithness
by the Highland Develop¬
ment Board will go to
Thurso and it will be only
10 miles from Dounreay
Reactor Station where trade
union representatives have
stressed their fears for the
future.
The Board have told the
town council that the factory
plan has been approved by
the Scottish 'Secretary.
It will be built on a one-
acre site at the town’s newly-
approved Ormlie industrial
estate.
Northern Isles
Shipping Costs
If the Government had turned
down the application of the
North of Scotland, Orkney and
Shetland Shipping Co. for a 10
per cent increase in most of
their charges, the company
would have had to reduce their
services to the islands.
This was stated on Monday
by Mr Norman Edmond, the
company’s managing director,
commenting on the controversial
increase announced last Friday.
The company had lost a
month’s increased revenue
through having to wait for the
views of the Scottish Offices on
their proposed increases.
The increases had been made
necessary by ever-increasing
costs.
“ We do watch our expenses
very closely,” he said. “ The
PIB said in their May 1968 re¬
port that the company were well
managed and cost-conscious.”
The company, a subsidiary of
Coast Lines Ltd., of Liverpool,
had been examining the possibi-
h'ty of operating roll-on, roll¬
off ferries, but he warned that
the cost of replacing ships would
be “ terrific.” It would be
“suicide” to replace any of their
seven ships with conventional
vessels. The only way they
would get replacement ships
would be through some form of
Government aid.
At present, the only subsidy
they had was a small one to
help to operate the Earl of Zet¬
land.
Mr Stuart Donald, Shetland
county council’s development
officer, said yesterday that he
was alarmed by the long-term
effect on the community of these
ever-increasing freight charges.
There had been 16 increases tn
the last 19 years.
The northern islands were
more optimistic and more con¬
fident than ever before, he said,
but these spiralling freight costs
hung “ like a shadow ” over
them. Shetland, with a popula¬
tion of some 17,000, was con¬
tributing 15 to 20 per cent
more per capita towards exports
than the national average.
Coming to
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where you will be able to see a
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Shetland Tweeds, Rugs, Scarves
Cheviot Tweeds, Knitting Yarns
Knitwear
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WOOLLEN MILLS :: INVERNESS
Telephone Inverness 31042
Also at Skye Woollen Mills, Portree