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MHG21258 - Naval Dockyard - Invergordon

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Full Description

Invergordon Naval Port and Fuel Depot recorded in Guy's 2000 Highland Region Survey of 20th Century Defences. <1>

The Royal Naval Docks at Invergordon are visible on RAF vertical air photographs (CPE/Scot/UK184, 5287-5288, flown 9 Ocotber 1946), which show the pier and workshop arrangement at the end of WW II. The whole area has since been redeveloped and the W pier completely rebuilt. The E pier remains substantially the same, but a Lifeboat Station has been constructed between the two.
Information from RCAHMS (DE), October 2004.

The Invergordon naval base took advantage of the the large sheltered roadstead provided by the Cromarty Firth. It began operating in 1913, with extensive dockside facilities, a vast complex of 41 fuel-oil storage tanks, and accommodation and other facilities for the many naval and civilian personnel. There was a large naval hospital. While most of the personnel lived it large hutments, 132 houses were built for dockyard personnel. The dockyard officers were provided with six substantial detached bungalows on the shore, while 126 semi-detached, single-story cottages were built for other staff - probably married senior craftsmen or married servicemen.
The main dockside element of the base occupies an area about 500m by 200m centred on NH 711 685. A First World War map (in a private collection) shows large buildings served by an internal railway system connected by a branch line from the Highland Railway beside Invergordon Station. The dockyard includes the east and west piers and subsidiary jetties and a range of buildings, workshops, stores and offices. At least one of these buildings survive (see NH76NW 27) which was the former machine shop.
The dockyard was run down after the First World War and, although it continued in use through the Second World War as an oiling base, it never became as important a base again.
Recorded as part of HS and RCAHMS World War One Audit Project. <2> <3>

GIS spatial data represents to main dockyard area and was copied from data supplied by AKK from the RCAHMS World War One Survey Project. <4>

Invergordon Naval base was investigated in 2015 as part of the ARCH project 'Invergordon in World War I'. See individual records for further information. <5>

Sources/Archives (5)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 7108 6848 (459m by 253m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH76NW
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	ROSSKEEN

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