Arklow Venus

Leaving Diesel Wharf with a cargo of scrap destined for Spain.

Norstrand

Seen at anchor off the coast of Gourock,unusually she headed up to Glasgow with her doors partially open.

Portencross Murder

A short walk to the north of Portencross village lies Northbank cottage,isolated and close to the sea,however it was the scene of a murder unsolved to this day.

In May 1913 three people moved into the cottage,they were Alexander MacLaren and his wife,Jessie and his sister in law Miss Mary Speir Gunn.

The three of them were sitting in the cottage on the evening of Saturday 18 October,

Alexander MacLaren was reading aloud from a book when suddenly the peace was shattered by gun fire,smashing the window the bullet hit Miss Gunn.

More shotts rang out one wounding Mrs MacLaren,when the shooting had stopped Alexander left the cottage and ran to Portencross to raise the alarm.

It is recalled that the dogs in the kennels had not barked which they usually did when a stranger was in the vicinity. When the police and doctor arrived they found Mrs MacLaren shot in the back and Miss Gunn dead, further bullets were found outside the broken window.

The police made extensive enquiries but to no avail,they even investigated as far away as Saskatchewan in Canada where Miss Gunn had a boyfriend,however no motives or suspects were ever discovered,the murder remains unsolved to this day.

Aquitania

The Aquitania was launched from John Browns shipyard on the 21 April 1913,she was the last of Cunards four funnelled ships.

She was known as" The ship beautiful "through out her carrier,her décor being second to none at the time,during the twenties she transported royalty and wealthy across the Atlantic.

During the fist world war she was converted to a troop ship,with the arrival of the Queen Mary in 1936 she was due to be decommissioned from service,but with the out break of war she once more took up the role of troop ship.

She finally went to the breakers in 1950 at Faslane on the Clyde,she had travelled over 3 million miles and crossed the Atlantic 475 times.

Police Helicopter on the Clyde

Strathclyde police helicopter prepares to land at its base on the banks of the Clyde in the city centre of Glasgow.

Our Venture BM444

Fishing off the coast of Arran under a wintry sky is Our Venture BM444 built in Troon 1982

Little Cumbrae Castle

Little Cumbrae castle was built by Lord Eglinton in the 16th century, some sources say as a base to prevent deer and rabbit poaching, apparently both animals being very common on the main Cumbrae island at the time .

In 1651 the Earl of Eglington sent his wife Lady Montgomerie to the castle with a garrison of men as he went off to fight Cromwell at the Battle of Worcester in September 1651, after the battle she was advised to surrender the castle to Cromwell or have it destroyed.

At some point during this period of unrest Archibald Hamilton a friend and correspondent of Cromwell was imprisoned in the dungeon of the castle, he was later taken to Stirling were he was hanged.

The castle was stormed by Cromwellian forces and destroyed apparently for the part it had played in his friend’s downfall, the castle was never reoccupied.

The castle looks at though it’s still in good condition; it lies on a little tidal islet.

In order to view the castle in any detail you have to take a boat trip round little Cumbrae,you cant land as the island is private.

The boat the Mary Anne leaves from Millport and is a pleasant trip of about an hour, the guide on board is very informative and friendly with a good knowledge of the whole island.