Carnival Legend Cruise Ship at Greenock

The cruise ship 'Carnival Legend' arrived in Greenock today.

She was originally scheduled to be here this coming Friday, but due poor weather in the North Sea this was changed.

Her itinerary was reversed - so that instead of heading to Norway from Dover - she came up the west coast.

She stopped over in Liverpool yesterday and made her way up last night.

Weighing in at 88,500 tonnes and can carries around 2,100 passengers.

'Carnival Legend' Off Greenock Esplanade

'Carnival Legend' Canting off Greenock Esplanade

'Carnival Legend' off Greenock Esplanade

'Carnival Legend' Berths at the Greenock Ocean Terminal in Early Morning Rain


A Glimpse of Sunshine Gives Hope

'Carnival Legend' Almost Berthed at the Greenock Ocean Terminal

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

Skelmorlie Royal Observer Corp (ROC) Post

The ROC monitoring post at Skelmorlie was built as part of an extensive network of posts designed to confirm and report the effects of a nuclear attack in the region.

A host of volunteers served in the Royal Observer Corps until it's stand-down in 1991.

Fifteen feet below the ground these highly trained volunteers waited for the message we all hoped would never come. This was part of the nuclear threat we experienced in those days.

 Access to the post is by way of a vertical ladder fixed to the wall of the entrance shaft.

Once you have descended the ladder you enter the world of yesterday, with apparatus designed to detect and measure the effects of any nuclear blast should there have been an attack.

I personally serviced the communications within these posts prior to the exercises - mostly these were held over a weekend.

The posts were designed to be protected from a blast and were self sufficient.

Thankfully - for now at least - these days are behind us.

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

'Emerald Princess' Departing Greenock Tonight

The cruise ship 'Emerald Princess' departed from Greenock this evening.

At 113,500 tonnes she carries around 3,000 passengers.

Her passengers were fortunate  with the weather on their visit, as the forecast for the town tomorrow is heavy winds, rain, and flooding.

This is her third visit to Greenock having been here in both 2011 and 2012.

She is bound for Cobh - a popular tourist seaport town on the south coast of County Cork in Ireland.

 'Emerald Princess' - Off Greenock Ocean Terminal

 'Emerald Princess' - Off Greenock Esplanade

 'Emerald Princess' Passing Cloch Lighthouse

 'Emerald Princess' Off Cloch Lighthouse - 14 September 2013

'Emerald Princess' Passing Dunoon

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

Bascula Swing Bridge - Near Renfrew

A rare opportunity to photograph the interior of the Bascula Bridge near Renfrew.

It was interesting to see the machinery rooms that house the equipment to raise and lower the bridge, and also the manual standby in event of machinery failure.

 Machinery Room in the Inchinnan Bascule Bridge

Machinery Room at the Inchinnan Bascule Bridge


Plaque in the Inchinnan Bascule Bridge

View from the Inchinnan Bascule Bridge

Looking Towards Renfrew from the Inchinnan Bascule Bridge

Machinery Room in the Inchinnan Bascule Bridge

View from the Inchinnan Bascule Bridge 

Long Way Down

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

ExpeditionCruise Ship 'Bremen' at Greenock

The expedition cruise ship 'MS Bremen' arrived at Greenock for her first visit to our waters this morning.

Her last port of call was Liverpool, and she sails again tonight bound for a cruise off Fingal's Cave.

 Her passengers are on a voyage of eventful cultural history of the UK.

 'MS Bremen' - Approaching Greenock Esplanade

 'MS Bremen' - Off Greenock Esplanade

'Bremen' - Expedition Cruise Ship

'Bremen' - Expedition Cruise Ship

'Bremen' - Off Greenock Ocean Terminal

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

Bascule Bridge - Barge Move with Offshore Wind Turbine Assembly

Another section destined for Methil in Fife left the River Cart.

Interesting to see these various components pass down the river. This one weighs in the region of 500 tonnes.


Bascule Bridge Elevates

 'Biter' and 'Beaver Bay' Enroute to Collect Barge


'Beaver Bay' Enroute to Collect Barge

Barge Moving the Transition Piece for the Samsung 7 MW Offshore Wind Turbine

 Barge Moving the Transition Piece for the Samsung 7 MW Offshore Wind Turbine

 River Pilot Aboard the Barge

'Biter' and Barge Pass Beneath the Bascule Bridge

Safely Through the Gap

 'Beaver Bay' at the Barge Stern

Bascule Bridge Lowers to Allow Traffic to Resume


Bascule Bridge - Shipping Movements Video

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

Walking Around Greenock

As my car was in for it's annual MOT I took along my wee Olympus camera and went walkabout in Greenock till it was ready for collection.

When it was ready I headed home for lunch then back down to walk Maya up the 'Cut'.

Great weather and down to my T-shirt for the walk.

Here are a selection of some of my pics from the day.

Victoria Tower

 Well Park

Well Park

Flowers

 Tree with Heart

 Busy Bee

 My Old Office - Telephone Exchange

 Town Centre Statue

 Victoria Tower

Canadian Gees In Dam

Busy Dam

 Spent Thistle

Loch Thom

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