One of the last working mines in Scotland closed yesterday, leaving the remote village of Lochaline on the Morvern peninsula fighting for its economic survival.
One of the last working mines in Scotland closed yesterday, leaving the remote village of Lochaline on the Morvern peninsula fighting for its economic survival.
Eleven jobs will go - one in five of the working population - in the community, which is 40 miles from Fort William and served only by a single-track road and the sea.
Tarmac, the UK's leading supplier of building and aggregate products and part of the Anglo-American Group, insists the 63-year-old silica sand mine is no longer commercially viable.
Iain Thornber, chairman of Morvern Community Council, said yesterday: "Eleven jobs may not sound a lot in the larger scheme of things but to Lochaline they are vital. The loss of revenue will hit the local post office, shop, hotel and snack bar. There are also fears that we could see our GP provision downgraded and lose our retained fire unit."
There were further concerns over a proposed new primary school and the loss of the village common good fund to which Tarmac contributes. It pays for the children to travel to the nearest swimming pool in Fort William.
Local MP Charles Kennedy said: "The outlook is not encouraging but I still hope that the huge effort which has been put in by the mine's workforce, by the community and by Highlands and Islands Enterprise might bear fruit at this late stage. Tarmac must recognise their continuing obligations to a small community which has given a great deal to the business over the years."
A spokesmaan for Tarmac said: "Up until a few days ago, we were still genuinely hopeful of a late offer being made on the mine, but this didn't materialise. Lochaline has made significant losses over the past few years and organisations like Highlands and Islands Enterprise have recognised the unviable financial position at the site, which is due to external market conditions.
"We've made it clear from the outset that Tarmac could not continue to sustain such losses. It's not a decision we've taken lightly and we did everything we could to avoid making our employees redundant.
"Safety and maintenance works at the mine would not prejudice Tarmac or a prospective buyer should the market position improve significantly in the foreseeable future."
The mine, on the north shores of Loch Aline, was first recognised as a source of silica sand in 1895 by Sir Edward Bailey of the Geological Survey. Tests were conducted and it proved to be one of the purest deposits in the world (99.7% pure quartz) and suitable for the use in manufacturing high quality glass. It was not opened until 1940 when France fell to the German invasion and the only other source of quality silica at a mine in Fontainebleau near Paris, was cut off.
The output increased annually until 1997 when it peaked at 130,000 tonnes. Recently it was around 52,000.
The sand is all worked underground. The raw product is hard and there are no pit props. It is drilled, blasted and taken to the surface in trucks to be crushed, washed and stored before being sent to markets in England, Northern Ireland and Scandinavia by small coasters. Today all the material leaves by sea.
Lochaline sand has been used recently in the manufacturing of glasses, crystal (Waterford crystal and Caithness Glass), bottles, china table-wear, electrical fuses, ceramic glazes, silicon carbide and rendering sand. In the past it was also used in toothpaste and household cleaners.
Scotland's last deep coal mine - Longannet complex in Fife - was closed in 2002 after a dam separating old workings from new seams under the Forth collapsed.
