Bill Mowat (independent)

I HAVE 16 years’ previous experience as councillor for North-East Caithness. I am chairman of Gills Harbour Ltd (GHL), whose fruitful 12-year relationship with Pentland Ferries Ltd has led to Scotland’s most successful year-round commercial island link service.

If Caithness is to attract long-term jobs from harnessing the Pentland Firth’s powerful tidal streams for generating electricity then Gills Bay must be an integral part of it.

We are constantly talking to developers and contractors.

The short-sea route from Gills is the proven best seaway to Orkney and the same applies to the turbine sites when it comes to sea safety, crew comfort, productivity and proximity.

Yet Gills harbour has not seen a penny of public money earmarked for necessary upgrades to ports for marine electricity developers. It cannot be right that all the cash is being channelled to a single Caithness port, without proper independent comparative studies being made first.

I am standing because the people closest to the subsea energy zone need an elected council voice ensuring that the jobs potential of Gills Bay becomes real, for the benefit of Caithness folk. With Dounreay closing in 12 years, this is perhaps the most crucial matter that Caithness has faced in half a century.

My public service aims and interests cover a wide range of responsibilities and I pledge to discharge these to the best of my ability.