The enormity of the task is clear as backers give a sneak peek of the vessel they plan to bring back to its former glory.
The Queen Mary was the largest and the last built to operate “all the way excursion sailings” from Glasgow. She sailed passengers “doon the watter” to destinations such as Dunoon, Rothesay, Millport and Arran.
Actor Robbie Coltrane is backing the push after the charity Friends of TS Queen Mary launched a campaign to raise £2 million to restore the vessel, one of the Clyde’s last remaining turbine steamships.
The 252 ft long steamer was built at Denny shipbuilders, Dumbarton in 1933, and is currently at James Watt Dock at Greenock.
The famous excursion ship was withdrawn from service in 1977 and had languished in a dockyard near London for seven years. It was finally bought and towed over 700 nautical miles to Greenock last month by Friends of TS Queen Mary.
The charity has already raised more than a quarter of a million pounds in less than a year to bring the ship home to Scotland and now want to renovate the vessel and open her to the public once again.
Iain Sim, one of the charity trustees, gave a private tour of the boat he described as magnificent.
He said: “We’ve launched our £2 million fundraising campaign to see this incredible iconic Scottish ship fully restored as a heritage destination moored on the Clyde for the people of Scotland and indeed Britain to enjoy once more.”
Source: Herald Scotland
