Forth Estuary Forum is pleased to
welcome new Chair
The Forum is pleased to announce that Mr. Barry Shafe has been appointed as our new chair. Barry is the owner of Scotboats, a boat share membership company based on both the West and East coasts. Prior to that he was the Project Director of the Edinburgh Science Triangle which attracted inward investment to the City Region, promoted interaction between academic research and industry, and positioned Edinburgh's Science Parks as hubs for knowledge exchange.
Barry will start in the New Year and looks forward to meeting Directors, Management Group and members. The Forum would like to thank again Ruth Briggs for chairing over the last ten years, and Iain Rennick for acting as interim chair since Ruth stepped down in September.
Animal rescuers called after pod of whales found ‘stranded’ near Culross
Around 30 volunteers from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) organisation have been involved in a rescue bid at Culross since just after 11am on Tuesday 3rd December when the huge animals were spotted.
All five of the whales got into trouble at the village’s pier, with one stuck upside down and said to be in “distress” for half an hour.
Four of the whales have since disappeared from view as they got into deeper water, but concerns have been raised for one of the whales which has moved position and was seen struggling further east near what was originally Preston Island.
Paul Smith, BDMLR coordinator for Fife and Stirling, said there was not much more that could be done as light disappeared into the evening. For more details, please follow this link.
The Day the German Navy Surrendered in the Forth
Ten days after the Armistice ended the fighting in World War One, the British navy celebrated a decisive victory without a shot being fired when the entire German fleet surrendered in the Firth of Forth.
It was the greatest gathering of warships the world had ever witnessed: nine German battleships, five battlecruisers, seven light cruisers and 49 destroyers - the most modern ships of the German High Seas Fleet - were handed over to the Allied forces off the east of Scotland.
The 70 German ships were escorted into the sheltered estuary of the Forth by hundreds of Allied ships and aircraft.
"It must have been some sight in the Firth of Forth that day," says Ian Brown from the National Museums of Scotland.
"It was a sight that had never been seen before and will never be seen again," he says.
Operation ZZ saw the mightiest gathering of warships in one place on one day in naval history. For more information on this fascinating piece of local history, please follow this link.
The Year of Coasts and Waters 2020
2020 has been designated Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters (YCW2020). The Themed Year will spotlight, celebrate and promote opportunities to experience and enjoy Scotland’s unrivalled Coasts and Waters, encouraging responsible engagement and participation from the people of Scotland and our visitors. The delivery of an exciting programme of special events is an important part of the year.
Including its many islands, Scotland boasts a hugely varied coastline and a rich offering of inland waters in both rural and urban settings. Our coasts and waters are vital elements of our landscape and are greatly valued by communities and visitors alike. Scotland’s diverse coastal scenery, ranging from dramatic cliffs and sea stacks to gleaming white beaches, offers an unparalleled range of experiences from water sports to whale watching and island hopping. Our lochs, rivers and canals also play an important part in the visitor experience, offering boat trips, fishing opportunities and activity holidays, while the many nature reserves across the country are home to a tremendous variety of flora, fauna and wildlife.
Scotland’s coasts and waters have shaped our history: from fishing and textiles to whisky and wave power, they have influenced our culture, our stories, our way of life. This programme is open to eligible events taking place between 1 January – 31 December 2020.
There are two funding rounds with the following deadlines:
• Round 1: Monday 14 January 2019
• Round 2: Friday 7 June 2019
For initial enquiries please contact EventScotland: 0131 472 2313; information@eventscotland.org
Train Factory bid for Longannet Power Station Site
The site of Longannet power station in Fife has been chosen by a Spanish train manufacturer as the location for a new factory, employing 1,000 people.
However, it is reliant on Talgo winning a major contract to build trains. The firm said the factory will get the go ahead if it wins the deal to build over 50 trains. The trains would be used on the high speed rail line between London and Birmingham.
Talgo has the backing of Fife Council and Scottish government. The Madrid firm said it will go ahead with the factory near Kincardine if it wins an initial order to build new trains. However, the contract they want is worth £2.75bn.
The decision will not be made until early 2020, and with four others bidders vying for this giant contract, Talgo are by no means certain to win. Further information can be found here.
Goodbye Inner Forth Landscape Initiative,
Hello Inner Forth Futures
Since 2012, a partnership of eight local authorities, public bodies and charities has been working successfully together with local community groups, individuals and organisations to deliver an ambitious programme of work centred on the Inner Firth of Forth from Stirling to Blackness – the Inner Forth Landscape Initiative (IFLI). On completion at the end of September 2018, this £4 million HLF-funded Landscape Partnership scheme will have delivered 54 interlinked projects ranging from habitat creation, footpath installation and historic building conservation projects to the provision of traineeships, volunteering schemes and a wide range of skills training opportunities.
By combining these with pan-landscape interpretation, events and promotion, IFLI has gone a long way to leaving an incredibly positive legacy in the area. However the end of IFLI does not mean the end of the partnership. From 1 October 2018 the partners will continue to work together to deliver a strong legacy from the Inner Forth Landscape Initiative that maintains and builds on the success of this previous project. The new phase will oversee delivery of the IFLI management and maintenance obligations, to make sure the projects that were completed during IFLI are cared for, supported and enhanced over the coming years. The partners have appointed a new project manager, Kate Fuller, to help administer the funding that was provided as part of the HLF grant to ensure that this takes place.
In addition to helping the organisations who delivered the projects to maintain the on-the-ground works that they put in place over the four-an-a-half years of IFLI, the funding will also help to train more people to look after and monitor the area’s natural and historic heritage, through apprenticeships, workshops and courses aimed at local people and community groups. More details can be found here.
Finally, everyone at the Forth Estuary Forum would like to wish members and subscribers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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