Today we are thinking of our good friend, colleague and fellow founding Director of Orkney News Ltd , Nick Morrison, as his friends and family gather to celebrate his life. In this article Nick reports on the time he was sent to a salt mine.

Nick Morrison reports on his visit to the salt mine in Loule Portugal

The Portuguese salt mine at Loule in Portugal was discovered by accident .

The area then was highly agricultural –  much of it still is.

Freshwater is quite scarce in many parts of Portugal . They were drilling for water in the 60s and what came up was saltwater, more boreholes were sunk with exactly the same result .

The salt mine was opened in 1964 using traditional mining methods including explosives.

Initially 200  personnel were employed . Fortunately these mainly came from another mine that was closing down . Explosives were phased out which meant fewer personnel , these were achieved through natural wastage .

Mining has been carried out in Portugal since at least the Roman times . Some copper mines still exist in Portugal . Mining is reckoned to be a hazardous occupation . The HSE describe it as the most hazardous with construction coming second . Recognising this the mine employees can retire one year early for every two years of employment . There are two employees of this mine that have served for 43 years .

It is also the only mine in Portugal where you do not need to use a face mask . Salt mines curiously are very healthy places especially if you have lung conditions . So much so the Russians and the Polish have opened salt clinics to treat lung conditions .

The mine uses the pillar and cavern technique common to coal mining . Here it departs from conventional coal mining technique as there are no pit props in sight. I have been down a conventional coalmine and the salt mine was way different .

It was explained to us that the salt under the conditions of pressure and tectonic movement is almost like a plastic and it results in these marked curved strata .

Instead of quite narrow and shallow tunnels of a coal mine we saw curved tunnels in some cases 40 foot or more high. Indeed they are so cavernous that some concerts and the like are held down there .

The salt itself is exported to many countries including the British Isles for de- icing roads . It is also used as a feedstock by the chemical industry to make something like 1500 products.