Work to start on £3m Arnish yard improvements

A £3m upgrade of a manufacturing yard on Lewis is about to begin in an effort to improve its chances of securing renewable power contracts.

Construction company Rok secured a four-year contract for the work and other improvements to the site at Arnish Point, Stornoway.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) awarded the contract.

Fife-based firm BiFab is building a full-scale prototype of a tidal turbine at Arnish.

The device is to be deployed in the Pentland Firth in May next year.

Archie Macdonald, HIE's area manager, said Arnish has a key role to play in developing Scotland's renewable energy industry.

He said: "Since HIE took over the lease of Arnish it has opened up the opportunity for the Outer Hebrides to gain a foothold in an expanding global industry."