Through the Lens: BAM Builds a Lifeline for Fair Isle
Through the Lens: BAM Builds a Lifeline for Fair Isle
Twenty-five miles off the Shetland coast, Fair Isle is UK’s most remote inhabited island. Home to 60 people, the island is known for its traditional Fair Isle knitting, bird observatory and unique culture.
The Good Shepherd ferry is the island’s lifeline. It carries food, fuel and medical supplies, enables children to travel for school, and brings tourists to the island.
To protect this vital lifeline, a £45 million investment by Shetland Islands Council and the UK Government has been made to upgrade the ferry infrastructure. The investment will protect the unique heritage and traditions of the island for generations to come.
BAM is delivering these essential infrastructure upgrades, working on both Fair Isle and in Grutness on the Shetland mainland.
The upgrades include a wider slipway, an enlarged boat noust, and a new winch house to maintain the new, larger ferry safely and reliably.
Building on Fair Isle comes with challenges. Every machine and material must travel by sea, with work dependent on the unpredictable weather. BAM’s team is designing robust structures to withstand salt corrosion, storms and the constant battering of waves.
