Other shipping around Kyle

Built in 2008 and registered in Leith, Edinburgh, the 1459t anchor-handling supply ship, "MV Kingdom of Fife" is the flagship of Briggs Marine, based in Fife on the east coast of Scotland. 61.2m long, the vessel is powered by two big Caterpillar C286-6 diesels and is seen here leaving Kyle pier, with Skye as the backdrop.

Built in 2006, the 3198t, Gibraltar registered, MV "Geise" has called into Kyle on several occasions. Seen here, amongst the palm trees, she is discharging large components for a local windfarm. The sea voyage is the easy bit of this delivery. Once ashore, police escorts are required and various pieces of "street furniture" need to be moved, to make space for the elongated trucks that take the blades on the final stage of their journey.

The 499t MV "Roy Kristian" is a 40m well-boat, or fish carrier, and is seen alongside Kyle pier in 2013. At that time, the 2001-built vessel was working for fish-farms off the west coast of Scotland, sailing under a Norwegian flag. Since I took this picture, the boat has moved to the other side of the world and is now on long-term charter to Marine Harvest Canada, working out of Vancouver.

The photo was taken at 5pm but the incoming squall makes it look much later in the day. This globetrotting vessel is the 1285t MV "Red Duchess" operated out of Troon by JST Services, who also owned the road crane being used to discharge the cargo of road-salt. Built at Bergum, Netherlands in 1969, the 76m general cargo ship has since been re-registered in Panama and was last heard of in China in Sept 2017. In her new life, the name TROON is no longer painted on her stern. ☹

Built in Kootstertille in 2001, not far from the Red Duchess , the 2595t general cargo ship MV "Scot Isles" was alongside in Kyle to collect timber. Operated by ScotLine, out of Rochester in Kent, the 91m vessel had to improvise slightly when berthing at the busy pier. If you parked a car like that, the wardens would surely be after you.☺