Operation Joint Warrior 142

The second NATO Joint Warrior exercise of 2014 has brought participants from the participating navies to the west of Scotland once again.

After an early start on Thursday morning we were disappointed to hear that many of the ships had gone to anchor instead of berthing at Faslane naval base.

Only 3 foreign ships came into Gareloch with many hours spent waiting in vain for the anchored vessels to take shelter in the base.

Only 2 ships headed for Glasgow, with KDM Peter Willemoes going up on Friday morning to join fellow Danish ship HDMS Hvidbjørnen which arrived the previous day.

With news over the weekend of impending bad weather, the departures were delayed from the usual Sunday till Monday, meaning I would not be around for them sailing.

After hearing on Sunday of the American oiler planning to leave ahead of the remainder of the ships, we headed for Cumbrae to catch her sailing down the Firth of Clyde from Loch Striven.

USS Vicksburg is the first arrival in Gareloch

The crew are all presented on deck

USS Vicksburg making her way to Faslane

USS Jason Dunham, an Arleigh Burke class destroyer is the next visitor

Looking forward to getting into port

Royal Navy minehunter HMS Blyth being followed by SD Eva, a SERCO personnel carrier

Spanish frigate SPS Cristobal Colon arriving on Thursday afternoon

SPS Cristobal Colon

KDM Peter Willemoes, an Iver Huitfeldt class frigate of the Royal Danish Navy passing Greenock on Friday

KDM Peter Willemoes heading to Glasgow

US support oiler USNS Kanawha

USNS Kanawha passing through the Cumbrae Gap

Greenock Sugar Sheds

Built in the 1880's but lying mostly empty for the past 20, the Sugar Sheds were for a long time the hub of the sugar industry in Greenock.

After Tate & Lyle moved out of Greenock this wonderful Grade A listed building fell into neglect and was almost lost when it went on fire in 2006.

The sugar sheds, one of the finest examples of a red brick and cast iron building in the country, caught the public's eye when it was used as a venue for the 2011 Tall Ships Race when it came to Greenock.

Part of the Sugar Sheds  has been opened up for access by Absent Voices, a local art project which tells the story of Greenock's sugar industry. I went along to one of their events to photograph this beautiful building and it's surroundings.

Greenock's Sugar Sheds

Combined images

This was once a busy workplace

Old hinge, new string

Titan crane which would have been used to unload and load visiting ships

Hanseatic

This year's cruise programme is drawing to an end with only a few visits remaining.

Hapag Lloyd expedition ship Hanseatic is one of our smallest visitors this year but her lines have a beauty that is missing from some of the larger ships.

She sailed out as the sun set on a beautiful autumn day, her next destination Staffa.

Royal Princess

Big isn't always beautiful, and I wouldn't call Royal Princess a good looking cruise ship.

She is the biggest liner to call at Greenock this year and the second largest of all time, only beaten by Queen Mary 2 which is a much nicer ship.

Day Out With Thomas

Last week I spent a day out with my friend Thomas at The Scottish Airshow at Ayr.

Today I met another Thomas - Thomas the Tank Engine.

Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway held one of their theme days where Thomas and his friends brought much excitement to hundreds of kids and their parents.

Duchess of Sutherland

For the second time this year I have followed a steam train around "The Forth Circle".

46233 The Duchess of Sutherland started her tour at Linlithgow station, making her way across the iconic Forth Bridge into Fife before heading for Stirling and back to Linlithgow on the south side of the Forth.

I selected a few locations near the beginning of her journey crossing the river at the Kincardine Bridge to keep our trip shorter.

The Duchess did two laps of the circle which allowed us a second bite at the steam powered cherry.

46233 Duchess of Sutherland arriving at Linlithgow Station

Ready to set off round the Forth Circle

Coastal path at Culross

46233 Stopped to take on water 

Crossing the Forth Bridge

Duchess of Sutherland at Culross

46233 Duchess of Sutherland on the coastal line through Culross

Greenock Tobacco Warehouse

Greenock has many wonderful historic buildings, many of which are well documented, but this little gem has avoided my attention until this year's "Doors Open Day".

The late Victorian listed building is on Clarence Street beside what was once the Albert Harbour.

Many thanks to local architect Dominic Quigley and Absent Voices art project for preparing this building for public exhibition.

Decades of discolouration add texture to the stairwell

I don't think the chair is part of the building but I like the highlights on it

The light coming through the upper windows fall on the feet of the iron pillars

A frame within a frame