Portavadie

The drydock at Portavadie was designed for the fabrication of offshore concrete oil production platforms taking advantage of the deep water in Loch Fyne. The project involved the excavation of some 830,000m3 of rock and soft material from a tidal inlet to a depth of 13m below low tide, to create one of the largest drydocks in Europe.

It’s easy to write off Portavadie as a madcap speculative venture by the government of the day.
However, the early 1970’s were pioneering days for the new UK oil industry, and the sky was the limit in the rush to build structures to extract the black gold from the North Sea, and the government was keen for the UK to take advantage of the seemingly endless opportunities.
Had the industry not changed from concrete to steel to build jackets for topsides facilities, Portavadie would have become as important as Nigg, Ardrossan, Methil and Kishorn, where thousands of workers built oil rigs for decades.

DRYDOCK Dimensions;
Length: 550m
Breadth: 110m
Depth: 18m

There follows some newspaper articles from 1975 onwards, describing the construction of the drydock (Portavadie) and workers village (Polphail).

February 1975
A village to accommodate 500 workers costing £1.5 million would be built by Maybole Company Myles Callaghan.
The village is to be sited ½ mile from yard, and will take 9 months to build.
Senior executives and labourers will stay in two storey timber fronted building.
Amenity block to contain a restaurant, lounge and recreational facilities.

April 1975
Construction of the drydock had been underway for 6 weeks, and had moved 60,000 tons of rock and earth. When complete, 1.5 million tons of hard rock and earth will have been excavated.
The Government decision to build without any orders was to ensure that sufficient sites were available in the UK for oil companies, when they came to place their orders.
A workers camp for 300 men would be built at a cost of £1.5 million.
Ardyne had already built 2 concrete jackets at this stage.
It would take 3 orders to repay the capital cost of the yard.
A Dunoon architect was approved to design the workers camp (now known as Polphail); the principal was that it could always be used for other purposes.

May 1975
Construction of the camp was started, push on to get the building dock ready for construction for of first structure to commence August.
3 platforms could be built at the same time inside the dock.

June 1975 – It was stated that Planning Permission would not be required for the afloat work required in Loch Fyne, once each structure was floated out of dock.
Permission was give for and offshore mooring port on Eilean Buidhe.
An Anglo Dutch consortium – Sea Platform Constructions – expected to announce their first order before the end of the year.
The site would operate as a Nationalised site.
The platforms would cost up to £80 million each.
SPC were to lease the site from the Government, repaying the £12 million from the profits of each platform, workforce of 450 persons took 17 weeks to prepare the site.
A high amenity support village costing £2.5 million for workers was built to such standards that it could be adapted as a holiday sports complex when the platform builders leave in 10 or 20 years.

August 1975
The site was now ready.
Construction costs had soared from £10 to £14 million.

March 1976
Two years ago, Portavadie joined the offshore oil boom.
Now, the 550m long dock lies empty. The area has been damaged beyond repair.
The go ahead was given based on the fact 80 platforms would be needed to export resources in the North Sea.
However, as technology changed, the type of structure which it was planned to build at Portavadie will be obsolete.
SPC confirmed there will be a need for concrete structures.

October 1978
Site not to be used for leisure purposes, and has been empty for 3 years.
Scottish Developement Department ruled against plan by Argyll and Bute Council.

December 1978
the £14 million yard may end up as a fish farm – study underway.
Argyll and Bute Council suggest site may be used as a training centre for Royal Navy.
The village had cost £3.3 million.

January 1981
Village sold to undisclosed foreign buyer. Had been built at a cost of £3.3 million and sold for under £1 million.
Village can accommodate 500 workers.
Houses built in concrete and clad in timber, with bars and billiard rooms.
To be adapted to provide a holiday and recreation centre.
Drydock not included in sale.
Village had been sold to a Dutch company with a Jersey office, and then resold by the buyer.
Planning consent which was granted in 1975 requires the complex to be demolished and the site be reinstated by 1985.
Ardlamont Preservation Society campaigns against plans to convert the £3.3 million village into a holiday complex.
A Dutch company
Bretshire Enterprises – bought the village for £175,000 on December 3rd.
A few days later it was sold again for £450,000 to undisclosed buyer, and the caretakers were sacked.

2009
A new 230 berth marina to very high standards was opened in the drydock, and plans are announced to demolish the village and rebuild 270 new properties over the next 5 to 10 years.

The following information kindly provided by J Newth

Shipping Movements to Portavadie

The SOUND of ISLAY made the very first deliveries of equipment to Portavadie at the end of February 1975, unloading directly onto the beach. Saint Kentigern from J & A Gardner’s fleet was there to on the same day.

These loads comprised mainly of large earthmoving machines, which were then used to create a crude end-loading berth to allow subsequent visits from the Sound of Islay.  Sound of Jura was also used to bring in larger loads on a couple of occasions, some from McInroy’s Point, some from Ardrossan.

A regular service from McInroy’s Point was started during the summer using Sound of Shuna. One run was given each night, bringing in building materials for the developing platform site.