Queen Mary 2

Today was definitely the highlight of this year's cruise liner visits to Greenock with the arrival of Queen Mary 2 on the Clyde.

A large crowd gathered on the Esplanade to see a spectacular fireworks display before QM2 sailed off.

Emerald Princess

After the wet and windy weather at the start of the week, it felt good to see the sun back out. The many visitors on Emerald Princess, today's visitor to Greenock Ocean Terminal, must be glad they missed the stormy weather of Monday and Tuesday.

This was Emerald Princess's first visit to Greenock, although we are well used to seeing other ships from the same cruise line.

Queen Elizabeth

Cunard's newest liner, Queen Elizabeth, was welcomed to Greenock by one of our local tugs, Anglegarth, providing a spectacular twin water canon display. Not that we needed any more water than what mother nature was dropping on our heads.

A few brave souls came out to see her arrival and I would expect, weather permitting, that there will be a sizeable crowd around to watch her depart this evening.

Prinsendam

On her second visit of the year, cruise liner Prinsendam arriving at Greenock on a rather dull, typical autumn day.

Arcadia's first visit to Greenock

This morning at 7am P&O cruise liner Arcadia sailed past the Esplanade on her first visit to Greenock. Although this is Arcadia's first visit, she is not the first vista class liner to berth at the container terminal, having previously welcomed Westerdam and Queen Victoria to our town.

AIDA blu

Arriving in Greenock this morning, for her first of 2 visits this year, is AIDA blu.

Balmoral

Another of Fred Olsen's liners visited Greenock today. This time it was Balmoral. Weather was pretty miserable when she arrived early this morning but had cleared up a bit by the time she departed this evening. I hope she has a smooth sailing on her way to Invergordon.

Ginger

Today's miserable weather is definitely not very summery, it's been raining all day and feels more like November than August. Thankfully I have some pictures taken last month on a lovely sunny morning to cheer me up.

Ginger was a working horse in the Greenock docks in the 1880's who met a tragic death when he fell into the water.This statue at the junction of Rue End Street and Cathcart Street was made by Andy Scott who also made the wood nymph statue at the other end of the town centre and the water kelpie heads at Falkirk wheel.

Inveraray

The county town of Argyll, Inveraray must have the highest whitewash bill in Scotland. The result is a lovely little town. Most of the buildings date back to the 19th century and give the place a very historic feel.

Main Street with its tourist shops

Inveraray parish church

Birthplace of Neil Munro author of the Para Handy stories

Looking towards the jail from Inveraray pier

Vital Spark, the puffer skippered by Para Handy

Inveraray jail

Voted as one of the world's top prison museums, Inveraray Jail dates back to the 1820's. The jail has been refurbished and through the use of actors and models in authentic costume, props and audio playback it gives a real feel of what it was like to have been an inmate.

Front view of the courthouse

Inside the courtroom

A typical cell with several occupants

Children were also imprisoned here

Inside the warder's room

Prisoners washed their own clothes

The kitchen where food was prepared for the prisoners

Warder and matron supervise a prisoner in the airing yards

A black maria used for transporting prisoners

Falkirk wheel

Day 3 of my stay at home summer holidays and a trip to see the Falkirk wheel.

This massive piece of machinery is built into the hillside above Falkirk and enables boats to transfer between the Forth & Clyde canal and the Union canal without having to go through a whole sequence of locks.

A whole tourist industry has been developed beside the wheel with boat trips, childrens play area and souvenir shop and of course the burger vans and ice cream vendors. The site wasn't short of visitors with several foreign accents to he heard.