Steamship Queen Mary gets new home on Clyde
THE historic steamship TS Queen Mary is to be given a permanent home on the Clyde.
The steamship, one of the last of its kind in the world, was rescued from scrap by a group of trustees last year.
She is currently undergoing a multi-million pound refurbishment to turn her into a heritage attraction, education and business centre.
Once complete the Clyde-built turbine steamship will be berthed beside the Millennium Bridge, in the shadow of Glasgow Science Centre and close to the SSE Hydro and SECC complexes.
Friends of TS Queen Mary, which has raised £1.3million towards her restoration, estimates she will attract 150,000 visitors and students each year.
The charity still needs to raise around £700,000.
Charity trustee Iain Sim said: “TS Queen Mary is the last of her kind in the world.
“She is woven into Glasgow’s rich social fabric and she represents the best of Scottish engineering.
“We are delighted that she will be berthed permanently at Glasgow Science Centre as a heritage destination and education/training centre.”
Built in 1933 at William Denny shipyard in Dumbarton, the TS Queen Mary is the last remaining turbine steamship to be built in Scotland. She once sailed ‘doon the watter’ from Glasgow to destinations such as Dunoon, Rothesay, Millport and Arran.
In spring 1935 she was renamed Queen Mary II at the request of Cunard White Star Line, to free up the name for the RMS Queen Mary being built at John Brown’s shipyard in Clydebank.
Actor Robbie Coltrane, who went on the vessel with his father when he was a child, led the campaign to restore it.
The new berth is in First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s constituency. She said: “I’m absolutely delighted to see the TS Queen Mary find a permanent berth at the Glasgow Science Centre
“The restoration will bring a major benefit not only in the form of visitors but in giving students unique hands-on experience.”
Dr Stephen Breslin, chief executive of Glasgow Science Centre, said: “Shipbuilding is an intrinsic part of Glasgow’s heritage and we are excited to be working with Friends of the Queen Mary to celebrate and engage people with the social and engineering history of this iconic vessel and shipbuilding on the Clyde.”