Proposed Ship-to-Ship Oil Transfer in the Cromarty Firth. Click to read pdf on this subject

A Highland community has reacted with fury to plans to transfer millions of tonnes of crude oil a year between tankers in waters which are a habitat for dolphins and protected birds.

Cromarty Firth Port Authority has applied to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to carry out the transfers while vessels are anchored at the mouth of the firth.

The maximum quantity proposed to be moved in a single operation is 180,000 tonnes, at a rate of about four transfers a month, and up to a total of 8.64 million tonnes per annum.