More from the K25 archive.

[bob955i]

Dug out some more from the archives...

From the 1970's up to the mid 90's or so, the North Sea oil industry was big business for a lot of Scottish coastal towns. Methil (I live a few miles away) in Fife was no exception and for something like twenty years or so, it had it's own oil rig component construction yard, firstly operated by Redpath Dorman Long, then Redpath de Groot Caledonian and finally Trafalgar House.

This was one of the last if not the last largest components constructed at the yard and which was completed in 1988 - the yard itself was later mothballed and then finally closed with the only thing remaining being an enormous shed.

Taken a few days before it was launched and towed away for assembly in May 1988:


In the water:


Ready to go - to give a sense of scale, the tug is a ocean going type and is far larger than the tugs formerly seen in docks:


This was a Danish Navy frigate presumably on an exercise in the Firth of Forth back in August 1989 - this ship was later decommissioned in 1992:


Approaching Kyleakin, Isle of Skye on the former ferry between Kyle of Lochalsh and Kyleakin in August 1995. This was the very last time I ever took a photograph of this scene as the ferries were discontinued in October 1995 with the opening of the Skye Bridge.

[GrahamNR17]

Splendid set, and properly interesting stuff

[Orio]

Fantastic colours in the last two pictures.

[Himself]

Impressive structure!
I`ve been on an ocean tug boat so I have an idea about its size.

[bhargav]

That is impressive. I worked in Cairnryan on the other side of the coast in 2003 for a month in an offshore soil investigation project. It was my first time on an offshore project, and was amazed by the size of the drilling rig. Wish I'd taken some pictures.

[bob955i]

Thanks guys.

[martinsmith99]

Great series!!