THE annual weight of shipping visiting the port of Montrose exceeded two million tonnes for the first time in 2014, amid strong activity in the North Sea before the oil price slumped.

The total weight increased by 22 per cent annually, to 2.108 million tonnes from 1.7m tonnes in 2013. John Paterson, chief executive of Montrose Port Authority, said the increase reinforced the town's position as a leading service base for the energy sector and an important import and export hub for a variety of cargoes, such as pulp, scrap metal, fertiliser, grain and timber.