James Bremner

James Bremner (25 September 1784 – 20 August 1856), a notable Scottish naval architect, harbour builder and ship-raiser.

When, in 1846, Brunel's SS Great Britain went aground on the sands of Dundrum Bay, Ireland, it is to his son, Alexander Bremner, that Brunel turned for help after various leading salvage experts had either declared the salvage impossible or failed in an attempt.

The method used by Bremner was later used to refloat her off a beach in South Georgia over a century later, after which she was brought back to her final resting place as a tourist attraction in Bristol.

He had watched Winter gales destroy harbour walls by lifting and working loose the horizontally laid stones.

In 1903 a tall obelisk was erected to his memory on high ground overlooking Wick Harbour, where it stands to this day.