(continued from page 166) breeding ground of many severe squalls and walls of white squalls were whistling across the firth, bringing'snow and stinging spray in their path.

Outside the firth, in the open sea, the south west wind is off the land.

Here, it is the easterly wind which is feared, blowing in from the sea and funnelled into ferocious seas by the twin arms of the land running out to Fraserburgh to the south and Wick to the north. It is in these conditions that the search for North Sea oil goes on and in which casualties may occur.

The oil industry came to Cromarty Firth in the early days when a site was sought for building the huge production platform. The dry dock at Nigg, just inside the entrance to the firth, is one of the largest in the world. Now planning permission has been given for an oil refinery close to the Nigg construction site and the development of the firth is under way.

It is this development which might well produce the first casualties. Around the corner there is Inverness Firth where there is similar oil work as well as yachts and fishing boats. Since the lifeboat arrived at Invergordon eighteen months ago there have been no casualties.

This has given the crew time to work up to a high standard of efficiency; all the hard work in training will be justified when the first call comes off Cromarty Firth..