Glasgow ship is one of the most popular and instagrammed sights in Greece featuring no historic Greek architecture nor gods, writes Gary Armstrong for an article published in Glasgow Live.
Ship that ran aground
The ship came on to sight after, Navagio (Greek for ‘shipwreck’) Beach on the island of Zakynthos has been home to the MV Panagiotis, which lies marooned on the sand having run aground there four decades ago.
But the boat’s story starts way before then – before World War II in fact – when it was constructed at the Scott & Sons yard in Bowling, on the Clyde, back in 1937.
Registered in our city in February of that year, it was initially owned by Glasgow shipbuilders J. & A. Gardner & Co. Ltd and was reportedly used in the historic evacuations of Dunkirk.
However records suggest the ship started spending its days on the Ionian Sea, under Greek command, as early as 1964.
Shores of Zakynthos
After a period of 16 years, the ship washed up on the shores of Zakynthos, before being abandoned by its crew and left on the golden sand looking out to a crystal clear sea, eventually turning to rust as the years passed by.
Caught on Public’s eye
From there to the present day, it remains, as if deliberately placed as part of a film set, or as an intentional tourist trap, drawing in travellers and locals alike looking to take selfies in front of it year after year.
The shipwreck contributed to the beach being voted the ‘best in the world’ by a series of journalists, bloggers and travel agencies, back in 2018.
The Panagiotis even featured in a hit Korean TV series, further adding to its surprising fame.
Uncovered mystery
It claims that the vessel served as a ship for illegally smuggling cigarettes and wine remains inconclusive, further adding to the intrigue.
History remains unchanged
And no doubt, for years to come, it will continue to pop up on our social media timelines and on the front cover of travel guidebooks, serving small reminders of the strange tale of how a Glasgow ship got lost on a beach in Greece.
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Source : GlasgowLive
