Men working at Arnish

Many men in the Hebrides are skilled engineers, as they have worked around the world in the merchant navy and in the oil industry.

Pictured in 1998, these men were using their skills on the island, building massive steel piles for the North Sea. Arnish oil fabrication yard in Stornoway employed many men and produced qualilty heavy engineering work for the oil industry but it’s now closed. Most of the men now hunt for jobs away from their Island home.

There is speculation that the yard may be re-opened but this time to build turbines for a new, ambitious wind farm project in Lewis.