Caledonian Isles and Arran

Docked at Brodick Bay Arran on a rather wet winter evening.

Caledonian Isles approaching Ardrossan harbour.

Click HERE for some more pictures of her at Arran.

Tornado ,Isle of Arran

While at Ardrossan Harbour to catch the ferry to Brodick on the Isle of Arran I spotted this tornado ,the light house in the picture is on the Holy Isle.

When the ferry arrived at Brodick the weather was foul with a torrential downpour,if you look at the middle of the third photograph you will see what looks like the remnants of the tornado or water spout.

Maersk Lay up ships, Maersk Brooklyn

Maersk Brooklyn in Rothesay bay awaiting to join the rest of the Maersk lay up ships in Loch Striven.

Click HERE to see the rest of the Maersk ships.

Seals

Grey Atlantic seals on an islet off the coast of Millport.

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.