The Invergordon Archive

This was almost certainly taken after the Smelter closed in Jan 1981. The car park is empty and there is a chimney missing.

I could not for the life of me, even from this distance, understand why they would build a smelter at Inver-g, as there was already one at Fort William...what is happening with this white elephant now?

I remember well walking from the car park to the changing rooms to start my shift in the Smelter and wondering what mess or disaster would be in front of me this time.
Before I left the company the ingots were being stock piled and the writing was on the wall even then.
I was employed as a Production Supervisor in the Extraction process from 1972-1975.

I worked on the construction in 70/71, a lot of money for c10 year life (the smelter, not me!). Gather a political shenanigans - note the Kinlochleven one also gone.

I worked there in the 70s. Miss the people of Invergordon. If by any miracle anyone remembers me(Ian Brough) or knows the whereabouts of a long lost friend Dave Brown, please contact me. Thanks.

My dad worked on the smelter from the mid 70s to 1980, Bill Swinley.

I worked there as a student Civil Engineer, April to August 1970, particularly on the conveyor system from Barbaraville which crossed the railway line. Fond memories of tea and homemade cake with Harry (a retired Englishman) who operated the railway crossing (there were about two to three trains a day). Enjoyed the quiet peacefullness of Invergordon on a Sunday, strolling back into town after mass in the old hut that was St Joseph's Catholic Church, picking up the paper and sitting on the coastline gazing out to Nigg and the Black Isle.

Hello Rick Swinley! I knew your father well, he was our engineer on "C" shift, he was a grafter, a nice guy. If I remember rightly, he moved out to a smelter in South Africa before Invergordon closed - seem to remember making up a large wooden crate for him to ship his gear out. Pass on my regards!

My husband was shift superintendant at the smelter during the 70s. We agree this must have been taken after the smelter closed in December 1981.

My dad (Jack Hinde) worked at the smelter for a very short time - he'd not long started when it was announced that it was closing! He was also the local bus driver and managed to get back behind the wheel after it closed.

This picture was taken late ‘80s (1986/8). This is as close as I remember as I was involved in putting the crane in with the "Demolition Ball" for Pendrich Steeplejacks from Edinburgh, The tops of the chimneys were removed hydraulically down to around 120 feet when the crane took over and demolished them to ground level.

My dad worked at the smelter (Bill/Willie Lynas). We lived in Alness - what a fab place to be brought up as a youngster - have many happy memories of my time there.
I remember one afternoon he picked me up on the way home from school and said we were off to pick my mum up from the smelter (as she worked in accounts - Kay Lynas). By the time we got there it was heavy snow and we didn't leave till late that night as all the roads were blocked. We got a lift home in a BACO land rover - very exciting at the time.
After the smelter he worked for various engineering companies including Cromarty Firth Engineering; James Jack for a while and Isleburn/Global Resources.
He was very much committed to his work, that was his life - hence being married 3 times!
Sadly my dad past away September ‘07. I know he will be missed as he was a respected man and a real character.

Hi Eddie, sorry I can't put a face to your name but it's nice to know that you remember me anyhow. I'm now back from S.A. living in Kirkcaldy again in the process of starting my own business. Please feel free to e-mail me. I'm looking for any information regarding my pension when I was there (who to contact, etc).
Regards Bill Swinley.

Hi Bill, if you would like the details of how to contact the pension service for B.A.Co., please contact me Viv Tibbott at v.tibbott1@ntlworld.com and I would be pleased to give you the info required.

I worked for Vibroplant and travelled up from Dundee to service the rental compressors back in the late '70s. I moved to the US in '79 and didn't realize that the Smelter had closed. I enjoyed the pictures and memories.

I'm trying to contact Ian Mcbay and Roddy McLeod. Anyone with ANY details, please contact me.

Hi Bill, this is Janet, Roddy's daughter.

I remember Mabel Dingwall's voice booming from the Smelter tannoy system. She could be heard all over Invergordon as she announced phone calls for whoever.

We remember Mabel Dingwall very well. She went out of her way to make us feel welcome when we arrived at Invergordon, a long way from home and more than a little homesick. God Bless Mabel

Is it true that they want to put an industrial waste incinerator here?

Yes Harry they do indeed. There have been many meetings/petitions etc going around very much against it. Although not totally in agreement with it, I just think all the publicity about it is killing Invergordon without a brick even being laid!! We are now known as Toxic town thanks to the protestors......

Viv, remember you well, not many welsh accents up here at that time, not many Yorkshire ones either.
You may remember my late father-in-law Jock Sutherland, Cellroom 2. He sadly passed away 11years ago. Mabel is still around, we see her quite often - I’ll pass on your message to her.
All the Best.

Hi Peter, we remember you and Jock very well from our time at Invergordon - nice to hear from you. It is now 27 years since we left there. I am now semi-retired and at 70 like to keep busy.

Peter and Viv - remember the both of you. I have retired some 6 years now (early from GSK). It is now 34 years since I left the smelter -a lot of water under the bridge!!!

I remember Mabel Dingwall very well as she was my dad's second wife. She was a very nice woman and must have had the patience of a saint.
They met at the smelter and eventualy got married but it never lasted that long before they were divorced as he was still married to his work. Such a shame.

I am often up that way on holidays and am moving back for good towards the year end. Would like to look up Mabel to say hello; be nice to see her again.

I visited several times in the mid `70s as part of the BA audit team from London. The works tours were great fun even though I understood very little due to the noise in the cell rooms and the broad Glaswegian accents. We stayed at the Caledonian Hotel Portmahomack and I remember dinner one evening with Morag(?) in the accounts department.

I wonder if anyone remembers me from the Smelter as I have left a few comments and worked there from 1973?

My dad Peter Hollas worked at the Smelter from 1973 -1978 in Producrion Control and as a buyer. I did my 6-month training in Accounts there. Yes I remember Morag very well, also the Auditors from London.

Hi Viv and Claus. Remember you both - I was supv Room one "D" shift. I retired last May. Would like to hear from you both.

Alister, good to hear from you. I took early retirement some 8 years ago from Glaxo Smith Kline where I ended up as Business manager. I now live in Glasgow with my partner of 7 years.
Do you still live in Ross-shire, do you see any of the old crowd from the Smelter? Do you have an e-mail address?
Best regards
Claus

Hi Alister and Claus, good to hear from you. I retired 10 years ago from a car component company - still here in Wales after our return 28 years ago. I have a small part-time job and my allotment so, as you can see, I keep very busy. My family are all close by. Regards to you both.

I recognise a few names here.. Blast from the past.. I have started a facebook group for Invergordon Smelter Apprentices.. If anyone knows any that are on FB please inform them.. Would be good to get a reunion happening.. Cheers Dave Mackay (AKA Davie Durness).

My mother use to work as a nurse in the Smelter but she sadly past away over 4 years ago. (Sandra Cockell)

My Dad worked at the smelter 1975-1979, he worked in fabrication and his name was Colin Finlayson. I rememeber going into school after Xmas when it closed and our teacher asked how many of us were affected by it and everybody put their hands up. Good memories of smelter panto trips to Eden Court Theatre in Inverness for workers kids.

Just found this web page, good to hear you are all alive and kicking, remember my time at Invergordon with much fondness and was the same as everyone else when it closed pretty well devastated, but still have fond memories of even the scallywags, including myself of course, will have to give the village a visit and try and look up some of the old gang now that I’ve retired, good to see your still there Viv a special hello to you and your missus, you to yorkie bar (Peter) hope you still remember me, Sandy Park, cell room 4, c shift

I will have to come out of retirement, and visit Invergordon where we have many friends left, I hope, as I have said it was a devastating experience for us all but I have never forgotten all the people we knew at the smelter, I hope they are still hale and hearty, best wishes, Sandy Park, c shift

We used to drive the trains in and out morning and early afternoon. We had a lot of fun in the smelter trying to get our job done and back to Inverness asap

Hi Sandy we are still going strong and have been back in Wales since just after the smelter closed. It's always nice to hear from old friends.

Hi all
I remember most of the folk who have added comments. I was shift engineer at the smelter from 1976 till it closed in '81.
I remember Mabel Lynas very well and she lived beside me in Ferry Row across from the old Invergordon Harbour.
I ran into Bill Lynas again at Nigg, where I was engineer until retiring in 2000. Bill was working for Cromarty Firth Engineering, and I think Angus Christie, or Plant Engineer at the smelter was the boss of CFE, or one of the other subbie companies in Alness Business Park.
You may remember me bawling over the tannoy in my still quite strong Belfast accent. I am now retired living in sunny Nairn.
All the best
Willie Scott
Ex A Shift Engineer

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