Could it be Bonnie Dundee?

A reader emails to ask if anyone can offer a suggestion as to the ship whose forward part appeared in Saturday’s Craigie column picture. He wonders if it could be the river paddle steamer Bonnie Dundee which languished in the south-west corner of King William IV Dock for many years prior to the Second World War.

“From 1906 to 1911, the Bonnie Dundee was laid up at Dundee,” he says. “In the latter year she was sold off to become a houseboat at Mugdrum Island near Newburgh. Eventually, she was brought back to Dundee and laid up.

“My information records she was offered for sale in 1924 (two years after Saturday’s illustration was taken), the highest offer being £38. She never went to sea again and was sold for scrapping in 1936, apparently for the princely sum of £5.

“Her purchaser found that her wooden hull was tougher than it looked. Initial demolition began on the careening beach on the east side of the Tidal Basin (now filled in) and final dismemberment was completed on the Patent Slip.

“If she was the Bonnie Dundee, then she had been built by A & J T Scott at their Waterside shipyard in Montrose for Captain James Tares in 1890, mainly for upriver trips to Balmerino, Bridge of Earn, Newburgh and Perth. Hopefully a local historian will be able to answer this query.”

British-Dutch energy giant Shell has announced the appointment of Sir Andrew Mackenzie as its new chairman.

He will replace Chad Holliday, who is stepping down on May 18 after six years in the role.

The company also published its annual report yesterday, showing chief executive Ben van Beurden’s total remuneration for 2020 came to £5.2 million, down from £8.75m in 2019.

Sir

Andrew joined

Shell’s board last year after a distinguished career in the energy, petrochemicals and resources sector.

Most recently, he was chief executive of BHP from 2013 to 2019.

From 2004 to 2007, at Rio Tinto, he was head of industrial minerals and diamonds.

Prior to this, over a 22year career at BP, he held senior leadership roles in exploration, research and development, and chemicals.