Shipping Study of the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters

1. INTRODUCTION

Under the Scottish Government Framework Contract for Provision of Strategic Environmental Assessment (REF: 17895), Scottish Ministers commissioned Anatec and Halcrow to provide a Shipping Study of the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters ( PFOW ) Strategic Area.

The specific focus of the study is commercial shipping and recreational vessels. Other Marine Scotland publications which include recent shipping information that may be useful to the reader are referred to below:

• "Scotland's Marine Atlas: Information for The National Marine Plan", March 2011, ISBN 9870755982547, available from Marine Scotland online via: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/03/16182005/0
• "Shipping Study of the four Major Scottish Ports: Forth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Clyde", June 2012. This study of commercial shipping routes and volumes for these four major port areas is anticipated to be available online shortly from Marine Scotland.
• "ScotMap: the Inshore Fishing Study Pilot in Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters", 2012. The draft report of this study of Scottish commercial fishing areas and routes is available from Marine Scotland online via: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/marineenergy/wave/rlg/pentlandorkney/draftreportonScotMapPentlandFirthandandOrkneyWater

Other references used in this study are included in Section 11 of this report.

The Steering Group for the project consisted of the following organisations (in addition to Marine Scotland, Anatec and Halcrow):

• Maritime and Coastguard Agency ( MCA )
• Northern Lighthouse Board ( NLB )
• Chamber of Shipping ( CoS )
• Royal Yachting Association ( RYA ) (Scotland)
• Scrabster Harbour Trust
• Orkney Islands Council ( OIC ) Marine Services

Marine Scotland and their consultants, Anatec and Halcrow, greatly appreciate the significant contribution made to the study by members of the Steering Group and the many respondents to the study questionnaire.

This report summarises the work carried out on the project and the key findings and recommendations.