of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



89 



these into use early this year. The opening ceremony was performed on 

 14th February by His Grace the Duke of Richmond and Gordon. 



At the instance of the contractors, Messrs. Charles Brand & Son, the 

 Town Council agreed to determine the contract with this firm and complete 

 the work departmentally. The chief works carried out during the year 

 included the completion of the rock excavation in the harbour basins and 

 the deposit of the excavated material in the embankment west of the 

 harbour, the underpinning of the quay walls with concrete, the formation 

 of quays and roadways, and the removal of the enclosing cofferdam. The 

 repair of the entrance breakwater, which consists in surrounding the head 

 of the structure with steel sheet piles driven into the boulder clay, and 

 filling the space between the piles and the breakwaters with concrete, was 

 commenced in July and is still in progress. The pointing of the defective 

 work in the breakwaters was continued during the year in so far as 

 weather permitted. 



Consideration of the financial position of the scheme is at present 

 engaging the attention of the Town Council, as the cost of the works is 

 likely to exceed considerably the estimates of September 1915, before the 

 scheme can be completed. 



Payment of the first instalment of the loan of £14,750 from the 

 Development Fund, amounting to £8000, was made to the Council, as 

 the Harbour Authority. 



Lossiemouth Harbour. — Progress on this scheme has been very slow, 

 owing chiefly to scarcity of labour. The East Pier was constructed for a 

 length of 106 feet, and is now completed. As the action of the sea was 

 beginning to erode the foundations of this pier, it was necessary to form a 

 concrete apron along a considerable portion of the sea face, at foundation 

 level. No progress was made this year in extending the breakwater at the 

 west side of the harbour entrance, but the parapet wall of the structure 

 was completed throughout its length. The erection of the iron footbridge, 

 which was shifted up the river, was completed on the new site. 



Payments amounting to £2557, 12s. 4d. have been made to the 

 Harbour Commissioners during the year by way of loan from the Develop- 

 ment Fund. 



Nairn Harbour. — This Improvement Scheme is still under considera- 

 tion by the Town Council. 



Wick Harbour. — The special repairs which are being carried out at the 

 harbour piers have progressed favourably during the year, although there 

 were frequent interruptions owing to stormy weather. The apron of con- 

 crete in large bags and mass work, which extends along the sea face and 

 north end of the pier, was completed. The underpinning of the inner wall 

 of the North Pier was also practically completed. 



Operations were about to commence for the underpinning of the south 

 wall of the Jetty in the old harbour, when it was discovered, as the result 

 of a survey by diver, that the wall was in worse condition than when 

 formerly examined, and it was found necessary to modify the method of 

 strengthening by building a new face in front of the old wall. The 

 modified work, which has the approval of the Development Commissioners, 

 is estimated to cost £5250, and a commencement has been made to the 

 work. The submarine excavation for the foundation of the new wall has 

 been begun, and a large quantity of road metal has been prepared at the 

 quarry. 



Payments amounting to £2351, 6s. have been made to the Trustees by 

 way of loan from the Development Fund. 



R. Gordon Nicol, 

 Consulting Engineer. 



