Busy Day - Military Shipping in Scotland

Early start and drove over to Glen Mallan in time to see HMS Iron Duke arrive in lovely sunshine.

A quick drive down to the Gareloch and lucky enough to catch the German U-Boat as she came back in to Faslane after the Joint Warrior exercise.

Time for home and pleased to have caught both vessels in pleasant weather.

Decided to take another run across in the afternoon and again was lucky as an American submarine was departing.

Transpired that she was the USS Dallas - the submarine featured in the movie "The Hunt for Red October".

A very early build of the Los Angeles class and very probably one we'll not see here again - but then who really knows.

 Arriving at Loch Long

Bridge Activity


 Tug Assistance

 Helicopter in Hanger

 Approaching the Jetty

Beautiful Setting at Glen Mallon

U 34 Heading for Faslane Naval Base

Navigating the Gareloch

 Faslane Bound

Busy Office

Heading Out 

Bound for Sea

More images are available at - www.dougie-coull-photography.com - better resolution and options to licence.

HMS Sutherland bound for Glasgow

HMS Sutherland arrived on the Clyde this afternoon and made her way up to Shieldhall in Glasgow.

She was escorted by the tugs 'Bruiser' and 'Battler'.

 Bruiser Leads the Way

 Passing Great Harbour

Approaching Port Glasgow

Nice to get a Wave


Passing Port Glasgow

 Swinging on her way to Glasgow

Passing Close

More images are available at - www.dougie-coull-photography.co.uk - better resolution and options to licence.

Busy River Clyde Today

A nice bright day today - a welcome relief from the recent winds and rain.

The river was very busy today and I've documented a few as they passed the area around Port Glasgow.

 Lysblink Seaways at Inchgreen Repair Quay

 Semaphore Signal

  HMS Argyll Passing Langbank

  HMS Argyll with Tugs Astern

  HMS Argyll

 HMS Argyll Heads out to Sea

 Eva Maria Muller Bound for Glasgow

  Forth Explorer

 Forth Explorer

 SD Eva

 Great Harbour

 Mount Stuart

 Muro Bound for Glasgow

Mount Stuart and Muro Passing Port Glasgow

More images are available at - www.dougie-coull-photography.co.uk - better resolution and options to licence.

HMS Argyll - River Clyde

HMS Argyll passed Greenock this morning on her way upriver to the KGV docks in Glasgow. This is her first visit in five years.

She is the longest serving type-23 frigate in the Royal Navy fleet.

Originally built at Yarrows up in Scotstoun she was launched in 1989 and commissioned in 1991. 

Last year she completed a successful deployment to the Caribbean where £77 million worth of drugs were seized with her assistance.

Earlier this year she tracked a Russian frigate off the coast of France and monitored her movement through the English Channel.

HMS Argyll, a Type 23 frigate fitted with advanced Artisan radar, used her Lynx helicopter and sensors to locate and monitor the movement of the Russian warship as she returned from a Mediterranean deployment.

HMS Argyll is expected to slip her berth at 11:00 on Tuesday next week.

Thereafter she enters a period of maintenance to repair and enhance systems and the hull.


Approaching Greenock


Passing Greenock Bound for Glasgow

Passing East India Harbour

 Glasgow Bound

 MOD Police Escort

 Lookout

Flags in the Wind

Approaching KGV Docks in Glasgow 

Friendly Wave for Glasgow

More images are available at - www.dougie-coull-photography.co.uk - better resolution and options to licence.

Gareloch Today

A drive over to the Gareloch early doors this morning and caught a French visitor to our waters in lovely warm sunshine.

I spoke with a number of German tourists staying at a Rhu hotel and they were thoroughly enjoying their visit to Scotland - it was nice to hear.

Headed across to see how the dismantling of the submarine Onyx was progressing and managed a few shots courtesy of DRB Marine.

French Frigate 'La Motte-Picquet' (D645) 


Passing Rhu

 Bound for Faslane Naval Base

 Severe Decay

 Escape Hatch Showing Heavy Rust

 Work has Begun

 Vey Poor Condition

 Inside the Fin

Fin

 Empty Battery Compartment

Empty Battery Compartment 

More images are available at - www.dougie-coull-photography.co.uk - better resolution and options to licence.