Could two steel boxes really keep an entire harbour running?
When a devastating fire tore through McArthur’s Store at Dunbar Harbour, it didn’t just damage a historic building — it ripped the storage heart out of a working fishing port. Nets, ropes, safety equipment, tools and essential supplies were suddenly left homeless. And when fishermen can’t store gear, they can’t fish. Simple as that.
So when two 40ft shipping containers rolled in, loaned by METLEN Energy & Metals, they didn’t just arrive as metal boxes… they arrived as lifelines.
Emergency support when it mattered most
The containers have been positioned on land near Skateraw, just outside Dunbar, providing secure, dry and accessible temporary storage for the harbour’s working fleet. While long-term restoration plans are developed for McArthur’s Store, these containers are now quietly doing the heavy lifting — keeping livelihoods afloat.
For a harbour like Dunbar, where fishing remains a vital local industry, this kind of practical support is priceless. These aren’t hobby fishermen. These are working crews whose days start in the dark and finish smelling faintly of diesel and haddock. Losing storage doesn’t just mean inconvenience — it means lost income.
Why storage is critical to working harbours
A fishing boat might look romantic bobbing in the harbour, but the real work happens on land. Nets must be dried. Ropes must be coiled. Safety gear must be checked, stored and repaired. Ice boxes, crates, spare parts and emergency equipment all require secure, weatherproof housing.
Without storage:
- Equipment degrades faster
- Health and safety risks increase
- Prep time increases
- Operating costs rise
- Fishing days are lost
The two loaned containers now provide dry, lockable space that keeps operations running smoothly while the harbour rebuilds.
A community-first response
What makes this story quietly brilliant is the speed and simplicity of the solution. Instead of endless paperwork, feasibility studies and funding delays, the harbour received something immediately usable. Containers are rugged, secure, mobile and require no planning gymnastics — making them perfect emergency infrastructure.
Local volunteers, harbour staff and fishermen have all welcomed the containers, noting how they have already reduced daily stress and operational disruption. In maritime communities, resilience isn’t a buzzword — it’s a survival trait.
A glimpse of the future?
While these containers are temporary, their success also hints at something bigger. Across the UK, many working harbours are turning to modular container storage as:
- Overflow space
- Seasonal storage
- Emergency infrastructure
- Affordable alternatives to permanent buildings
They’re cheaper. They’re fast. And they work.
Dunbar’s containers may be temporary — but they’re quietly showing how simple modular solutions can future-proof coastal operations.
Keeping the harbour alive
Harbours aren’t museums. They’re living, breathing working spaces that rely on functional infrastructure to survive. These two containers are more than storage — they’re keeping boats sailing, crews earning, and a fishing town functioning while long-term restoration plans take shape.
Sometimes resilience doesn’t look heroic. Sometimes it looks like two steel boxes sitting quietly at the edge of a Scottish harbour… doing an awful lot of good.
