Loch Duart buys mothballed processing plant in Dingwall

Loch Duart currently produces 6,000 tonnes of salmon each year

A Scottish fish processing factory that was mothballed 18 months ago is to reopen after being bought by a high-end salmon producer.

Sutherland-based Loch Duart announced it had acquired a facility in Dingwall, Ross-shire, previously owned by The Edinburgh Salmon Company.

The move will result in the creation of 40 new jobs initially, the firm said.

Dozens of jobs were lost in 2018 after the plant's owners said there was "no feasible alternative" to closure.

This is the first time Loch Duart has purchased its own processing facility in its 21-year history.

It plans to refurbish the 52,000 sq ft site before opening.

The fish processing plant in Dingwall ceased production at the end of 2018

Loch Duart managing director Mark Warrington said the purchase was "an investment in our future".

He added: "Having our own processing facility will eventually allow us to be more flexible and responsive to our customers' needs as we adapt to changing consumer behaviours in the new world that we all face."

Loch Duart currently produces 6,000 tonnes of salmon each year from its farms in Sutherland and the Outer Hebrides.

Before this development the company employed 100 people, mainly at their farm sites in Sutherland and the Outer Hebrides.