Hunterston Terminal

Hunterston Terminal is a coalhandling port located at Hunterston on the Firth of Clyde near the town of Fairlie.

Operated by Clydeport, the one-mile long jetty is able to handle modern ships of any size. At the port, an overhead conveyor linked to two gantry cranes carries coal to a railhead on the Ayrshire Coast Line railway.

The conveyor is also linked to a ship loader which loads coal into smaller ships on the inner berth, this coal is transported to Manchester and Belfast amongst other places. Among other users, coal from Hunterston Terminal supplies Longannet power station in Fife and the Drax power station in Yorkshire. The resulting coal traffic has been a major reason for the reopening of the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail link, which has been controversial due to the noise caused by trains travelling throughout the night.

Off to London tomorrow.