INVERGORDON

small North Sea port, Highland council area, historic county of Ross-shire, historic region of Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, on the deep sheltered waters of the Cromarty Firth. Situated on one of the deepest and safest harbours in Great Britain, Invergordon served as a Royal Navy dockyard between World Wars I and II. Rapid industrialization followed the establishment of Europe's largest grain distillery in 1960 and the British Aluminium smelting plant soon afterward. Although the aluminum plant closed in the late 20th century, the town benefited from the discovery and exploitation of North Sea oil. Britain's only submarine pipe-coating plant is situated there to manufacture protective coating for the pipelines that bring crude oil and gas ashore. Pop. (1991) 3,929.