48 



Thirty-ninth Annual Re-port 



grant of £3000 for the improvement of fishery harbours, and many of 

 the smaller harbours round the coast have benefited from the adminis- 

 tration of this grant. The grant was, however, totally inadequate for 

 the general reconstruction of harbours rendered necessary by the cir- 

 cumstances referred to above, and it was not until the institution of 

 the Development Fund in 1909 that means were available to enable 

 the situation to be faced. 



Up to the end of 1914 grants and loans from the Development 

 Fund amounting in all to £202,050, as detailed in the Eeport for 

 that year, had been sanctioned for improvement schemes, and several 

 of the works had been commenced. The conditions during the war 

 naturally retarded progress, and, further, had the effect of deferring 

 the commencement of several of the schemes, but the improvements 

 at Berwick, Stonehaven, Cullen, Lerwick and Ullapool have been com- 

 pleted. The new basins at Buckie were opened in February 1917, 

 and the deepening of the entrance channel was practically completed 

 at the end of 1920, while the extension at Macduff was then almost 

 ready for use. Owing to the great increase in costs and other diffi- 

 culties caused by the war, work on the improvements at Eyemouth, 

 Fraserburgh and Gardenstown, and on the new boat shelter at 

 Lossiemouth, was suspended at different periods and has not yet been 

 resumed. The repairs scheme at Wick, which was sanctioned in 1915, 

 is still in progress. As regards Whitehall, Stronsay, only the dredging 

 was carried out, the estimated cost of the extension of the piers proving 

 to be in excess of the funds available. 



The only advance from the Development Fund sanctioned in 1920 

 was a loan of £7200 to the Eyemouth Harbour Trust in aid of a 

 scheme for the removal of accumulated silt from the harbour, but 

 several applications for assistance from the Fund, involving schemes 

 of the utmost importance, were under consideration during the 

 year. Owing to the great increase of costs, the Town Councils 

 of Buckie and Macduff, the Wick Harbour Trustees and the 

 Lossiemouth Boat Shelter Commissioners had found it necessary to 

 apply for additional assistance to enable the schemes in hand to be 

 completed. Eyemouth Harbour Trustees had submitted a scheme 

 for the construction of a deep water basin, Peterhead Harbour Trus- 

 tees a scheme for the deepening of part of their harbour, and Fraser- 

 burgh Harbour Commissioners a scheme for the extension of the 

 outer breakwaters, and for the reconstruction and strengthening of 

 certain of the inner works. 



In addition to the main improvement schemes, the applications 

 in respect of Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Macduff covered proposals 

 for the provision of repairing facilities for fishing vessels, a matter of 

 the utmost importance to which the Board have previously directed 

 attention. 1 



Prior to the war advances from the Development Fund had been 

 provisionally sanctioned for improvements at Portknockie, Findochty 

 and Nairn, but it has not yet been possible to commence the 

 works. During 1920 revised schemes in respect of these harbours 

 were submitted to the Board, but the high costs involved under 

 existing conditions presented serious difficulties, and the schemes 

 were still under consideration at the close of the year. 



From their own harbour funds the Board sanctioned during the 



