[Inchindown]

Picked up the Antara this morning and took the long way round to get home so I could see how the car performed. Did about 70 miles and stopped at a place called Nigg Bay at the mouth of the Cromarty Firth.

Here are some pics I took.

This one shows the spare wheel fitted. The size is 215/70/R16. The jack is shown on the left, there is a tool pouch on the right. Still plenty of room under the boot lid and no problem closing the lid.

 

[Grumps]

Looks good.

A big change from the Volvo.

Where did you get the spare wheel insert and tools from?

 

[Antarius]

Great photographs Inchindown

Can I ask you how close you were to Invergordon Harbour ?


The reason that I am asking is that the structure in photograph 4 looks like an "oil rig" and I am aware that there is such a structure currently docked there.

 

[Spantara]

Nice photos and nice motor! Congrats.
You also have the same spare wheel and tool set-up as I do. As I have never had to use it, I cannot say how goood the kit is but I am very pleased that it is there and not the compressor and shaving foam.

Enjoy your new car. I an truly pleased for you although I am left wondering where the snow that they are making such a fuss about is?

Edited by: Spantara

 

[Inchindown]

Looks good.

A big change from the Volvo.

Where did you get the spare wheel insert and tools from?

I couldn't be bothered searching round for the cheapest stuff, so I just bought the lot from the VX dealer who supplied the car.

 

[Inchindown]

Great photographs Inchindown 

Can I ask you how close you were to Invergordon Harbour ?


The reason that I am asking is that the structure in photograph 4 looks like an "oil rig" and I am aware that there is such a structure currently docked there.

The place where the photos were taken is Called Nigg Bay. They used to build oil rigs there, but it is now a maintenance base. They are also hoping to do some work on wind farms and decommissioning oil rigs. They have a huge dry dock there.

Invergordon harbour is about 15.5 miles away by road. As the crow flies across the Cromarty firth, Invergordon is only about 5 miles away.

The rig you can see in the 4th picture is in the Nigg base for maintenance.

In the 1st and 5th pictures above, you are looking over the firth towards Invergordon. You can see a couple of rigs anchored out in the firth. I think there is a rig in the Invergordon base at the moment, but I don't know the name off hand. I can find out for you if you want.

The Cromarty firth is often used to anchor oil rigs between jobs or while waiting to go in for maintenance at Nigg or the Invergordon Service Base.

 

[Inchindown]

Nice photos and nice motor! Congrats. 
You also have the same spare wheel and tool set-up as I do. As I have never had to use it, I cannot say how goood the kit is but I am very pleased that it is there and not the compressor and shaving foam.
 
Enjoy your new car. I an truly pleased for you although I am left wondering where the snow that they are making such a fuss about is?

There has been almost no snow up here in Ross=shire this winter. In fact there was very little last winter either. Been very cold for weeks now, so will be glad when it warms up a bit.

The two winters prior to that were really bad though. Had to get the snow blower out then.

 

[Inchindown]

Well what do you know. It's snowing this morning. Had to put the car in the garage to stop it getting covered in the stuff.

Don't think it will last though. Not going to get the chance to test out the AWD today.

 

[Antarius]

Inchindown, the reason that I was asking is that about three weeks ago, my neighbour from directly across from my house, slipped and fell to his death from an oil rig that was moored within Invergordon Harbour.

Sadly, the week that he died was to be his last as he was no longer fit enough to continue his "diving" career and he was about to be given an office job in another part of the country.

 

[Antarius]

Nice photos and nice motor! Congrats.
You also have the same spare wheel and tool set-up as I do. As I have never had to use it, I cannot say how goood the kit is but I am very pleased that it is there and not the compressor and shaving foam.

Enjoy your new car. I an truly pleased for you although I am left wondering where the snow that they are making such a fuss about is?

It is truly an unique time of the year for several reasons over here in the UK. It was once almost given that the north of Britain would suffer snow and frost much more than the south.


About five years ago, "Mother Nature" decided to make it much more of a level playing field with regards to winter weather and indeed, over the last couple of winters, England as a whole, have experienced much more snow and frost than in Scotland.


If only she was to balance the summer months out to the same degree

Or maybe not

I don't want any water shortages or hose pipe bans

How would I ever keep my Antara clean !!!

 

[Antarius]

Great photographs Inchindown

Can I ask you how close you were to Invergordon Harbour ?


The reason that I am asking is that the structure in photograph 4 looks like an "oil rig" and I am aware that there is such a structure currently docked there.

The place where the photos were taken is Called Nigg Bay. They used to build oil rigs there, but it is now a maintenance base. They are also hoping to do some work on wind farms and decommissioning oil rigs. They have a huge dry dock there.

Invergordon harbour is about 15.5 miles away by road. As the crow flies across the Cromarty firth, Invergordon is only about 5 miles away.

The rig you can see in the 4th picture is in the Nigg base for maintenance.

In the 1st and 5th pictures above, you are looking over the firth towards Invergordon. You can see a couple of rigs anchored out in the firth. I think there is a rig in the Invergordon base at the moment, but I don't know the name off hand. I can find out for you if you want.

The Cromarty firth is often used to anchor oil rigs between jobs or while waiting to go in for maintenance at Nigg or the Invergordon Service Base.

Inchindown, below is the link to the news story to which I referred.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-21684129

 

[Inchindown]

Inchindown, the reason that I was asking is that about three weeks ago, my neighbour from directly across from my house, slipped and fell to his death from an oil rig that was moored within Invergordon Harbour.

Sadly, the week that he died was to be his last as he was no longer fit enough to continue his "diving" career and he was about to be given an office job in another part of the country.

I heard about that incident. It's not the first death from a fall off an oil rig in Invergordon either.

They look like really dangerous places to work, even when in harbour. When you walk passed them the deck seems miles off the ground. Not heard anything about the cause of your neighbour's death though.

When I came out the Navy back in the 70s, I applied for a job as a welder in an oil rig construction yard. Seeing how things turned out for me, I'm really glad I didn't take up the job offer,

 

[Off Road Doc]

Nice pics Inchi, I hope your enjoying new wheels, Its a glorius sunny day to be out in it, hopefully tomorrow the same as Im up your way, up to Golspie for a bit of mountain biking.

 

[Inchindown]

Inchindown, below is the link to the news story to which I referred.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-21684129

From the article it seems as though this particular rig was anchored out in the firth when the accident happened, and then it was brought alongside at Invergordon so the police could investigate.

 

[Inchindown]

Nice pics Inchi, I hope your enjoying new wheels, Its a glorius sunny day to be out in it, hopefully tomorrow the same as Im up your way, up to Golspie for a bit of mountain biking.

Good luck tomorrow, it's bright sunshine in Invergordon at the moment.

 

[Antarius]

Nice pics Inchi, I hope your enjoying new wheels, Its a glorius sunny day to be out in it, hopefully tomorrow the same as Im up your way, up to Golspie for a bit of mountain biking.

Good luck tomorrow, it's bright sunshine in Invergordon at the moment.

Congratulations fellow "Groupie"

 

[Antarius]

Inchindown, the reason that I was asking is that about three weeks ago, my neighbour from directly across from my house, slipped and fell to his death from an oil rig that was moored within Invergordon Harbour.

Sadly, the week that he died was to be his last as he was no longer fit enough to continue his "diving" career and he was about to be given an office job in another part of the country.

I heard about that incident. It's not the first death from a fall off an oil rig in Invergordon either.

They look like really dangerous places to work, even when in harbour. When you walk passed them the deck seems miles off the ground. Not heard anything about the cause of your neighbour's death though.

When I came out the Navy back in the 70s, I applied for a job as a welder in an oil rig construction yard. Seeing how things turned out for me, I'm really glad I didn't take up the job offer,

I don't know all the details of the incident as I have really only spoken to the family for a few minutes at the funeral which was only last week due to the Health & Safety investigation but it was inferred to me that the rig was moored at the quayside of the accident.


As you rightly mentioned, another worker from another rig, slipped and fell to his death in 2011.


I really am full of admiration for anyone who has a "sea" job. Watching some of these documentaries on TV just shows the power of the sea and it takes a special type of person to put themselves in that environment.


I take it that Invergordon has a "deep" harbour for it to be used for the repair and refitting of oil rigs and other such large structures ?

 

[Inchindown]

Yes, Invergordon has one of the deepest harbours around. It's also well protected from the open sea as the access to the Cromarty firth is protected by a narrow opening called "Th Sutors". These arfe 2 headlands which form the entrance to the firth.

The firth was a major Naval base during WW2 and I think there was a major project then to deepen it.

There is a local hill which bears my name of Inchindown. There were large caverns hollowed out inside the hill to store fuel for the naval ships.

Navy have been long gone and the only regular shipping these days is oil rigs and support vessels. There is also quite an active cruise ship market in the summer months.

 

[Inchindown]

Been out for another run this morning. Just around the local area, but an interesting drive nevertheless.

This is taken looking down on the Dornoch Firth.

In this one we are looking towards the town of Bonar Bridge.

This one shows how little snow we have had up here this year. The hill in the back ground is almost 1300 feet high, and it's very unusual for there to be no snow on the top at this time of year.

 

[Antarius]

It must be nice to have such scenery around you

I have mentioned in the past that it is a beautiful part of the world and your photographs just corroborate that fact.


Do you do much photography ?


I only ask as you seem to have the art being able to strategically position the main subject in exactly the right place so that it forms part of the backdrop

Edited by: Antarius