Three boats

I was in Inveraray this afternoon for the ENABLE SCOTLAND hustings, which was an interesting and quite different event.  I suspect the other two candidates who were  there  (Labour and the Greens put no one up) learnt, like me  as much as the audience and the non confrontational nature of the event (it was a sort of conversation cafe approach) was very productive.  My extra photo today is from the hustings. 

It was a cold when we all  left the Inveraray Inn  but when I saw this I couldn't resist going down to the water's edge to try and get a picture. 

The three masted ship is the Arctic Penguin which was berthed at the pier as a museum but which has now been sold as a private yacht and is waiting to be towed to Ardmaleish Boatyard on Bute for conversion.   She was built in 1910 in Dublin for the Commissioners of Irish Lights and served originally as a light ship.

The puffer was built in 1943 on the River Weaver at Pimblott's Boatyard in Northwick for the Admiralty. .   Her original designation was as VIC27  as VICs - Victualling Inshore Craft - were wartime versions of the older puffer.   She is one of only three left.

She left Admiralty service in the 1960s, was renamed "Auld Reekie"  and used for charity excursions for children under the aegis of the City of Edinburgh.   She was then dubbed the Vital Spark  for the 1994 TV adaptation of the Neil Munro stories.    

She is still being worked on by her owner who also owns the pier, though that is in a poor state and the local community has been pressing for it to be upgraded and proper access restored.

Anyway, those are the details.   The broad brush is just the great picture they make set against Loch Fyne and the hills of Cowal - with the addition of a nice little blue dinghy.