Holy Loch
Holy Loch | |
---|---|
An Loch Sianta/Seunta ( Strone to the right | |
Location | Cowal, Argyll and Bute, Scotland |
Coordinates | 55°59′13″N 4°55′59″W / 55.987°N 4.933°W National grid reference NS1713980778 |
Type | Sea loch |
Basin countries | Scotland, United Kingdom |
Surface elevation | Sea level |
Frozen | No |
Islands | 0 |
The Holy Loch (
.The "Holy Loch" name is believed to date from the 6th century, when
During World War II, the loch was used as a British Royal Navy submarine base. From 1961 to 1992, it was used as a United States Navy ballistic missile submarine base. In 1992, the Holy Loch base was deemed unnecessary following the demise of the Soviet Union and subsequently closed.
Geography
Open on the
.All the villages used to have piers served by
History
Medieval period
On the shore of the Holy Loch at
Modern history
Robertson's Yard
Alexander Robertson started repairing boats in a small workshop at Sandbank in 1876, and Alexander Robertson & Sons went on to become one of the foremost wooden boat builders on the Clyde. Their 'golden years' were in the early 20th century when they started building classic 12 & 15 metre racing yachts. Robertsons was chosen to build the first 15-metre yacht designed by William Fife (Shimna, 1907). More than 55 boats were built by Robertsons in preparation for the First World War and the yard remained busy even during the Great Depression in the 1930s, as many wealthy businessmen developed a passion for yacht racing. During World War II the yard was devoted to Admiralty work, producing a wide range of large high speed Fairmile Marine Motor Boats (MTBs and MGBs).
After the war the yard built the successful one-class Loch Longs and two 12-metre challengers for the America's Cup: Sceptre (1958) (17 tonnes) and Sovereign (1964). The Robertson family sold the yard in 1965, and it was turned over to GRP production work (mainly Pipers and Etchells). During its 104-year history, Robertson's Yard built 500 boats, many of which are still sailing. The yard ceased trading in the early 1980s; at this point it was owned by Terry Hooper who ran the yard servicing mostly the US Navy. After the US navy packed up and left the area Hooper sold the yard in the 1990s. The site has since been converted to residential building and the new Holy Loch Marina development. The yard today is still widely known in the area as 'Hooper's Yard'.
World War II
During World War II the loch was used by the Royal Navy as a submarine base, served by the depot ship HMS Forth. The loch was used extensively for trials and exercises by Royal Navy submarines during the war, the submarines HMS Vandal (P64) and HMS Untamed (P58) were lost in the Clyde after being sunk by accidents during exercises. Untamed was later salvaged.
Near the Holy Loch an anti-submarine boom was constructed between Dunoon and the Cloch Point Lighthouse to defend waters from German U-boats.
Between 1961 and 1992, Holy Loch was the site of the
Holy Loch was one of several locations on or near the
Between 1961 and 1982, the Naval Support Activity ashore was administered by U.S. Naval Activities London. In 1982, Naval Support Activity (NAVSUPPACT), Forward Base, Holy Loch, Scotland became its own command. NAVSUPPACT ultimately managed 42 facilities and leased 342 housing units for Navy personnel and their dependents.
Holy Loch's most prosperous period occurred with the naval base and its 3,000 Americans.[6] A monument was built to the U..S Navy years in the Castle Gardens, Dunoon.[7]
Over the years, five different
Arrived | Departed | Tender | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
March 1961 | January 1963 | USS Proteus (AS-19) | Commenced first site one refit 6 March 1961. (USS Patrick Henry (SSBN-599)) |
January 1963 | August 1966 | USS Hunley (AS-31) | |
August 1966 | May 1970 | USS Simon Lake (AS-33) | |
May 1970 | November 1975 | USS Canopus (AS-34) | |
November 1975 | January 1982 | USS Holland (AS-32) | |
January 1982 | June 1987 | USS Hunley (AS-31) | |
June 1987 | March 1992 | USS Simon Lake (AS-33) |
Arrived | Departed | Drydock | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
June 1961 | February 1992 | Los Alamos (AFDB-7) | February 1964, completed the first "off centre" docking of a Polaris submarine |
Two notable incidents occurred during the three-decade long deployment of SUBRON 14 at Holy Loch. On 29 November 1970, a fire erupted on
Laurel Clark, known to her shipmates as "Doc Salton", was assigned as the Radiation Health Officer and Undersea Medical Officer at SUBRON 14. Clark was one of the astronauts who perished in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster on 1 February 2003.[10]
New technologies and the end of the Cold War led to the base being deemed unnecessary. The last submarine tender to be based there, the USS Simon Lake (AS-33), left Holy Loch in November 1991, ahead of the base closing the following June.[11] The closing of the base caused significant economic decline.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b Historic Kilmun, Visit Historic Klmun, leaflet by Argyll Mausoleum Ltd, Kilmun 2015.
- ^ Historic Scotland, Kilmun, St Munn's Parish Church (church of Scotland) including Argyll and Douglas Mausolea (online), access date 8 April 2015.
- ^ Historic Kilmun, The Argyll Mausoleum: List of Burials (online), access date 9 April 2015.
- ^ Lavery, Brian (September 2001). "The British government and the American Polaris base in the Clyde". Journal for Maritime Research. Archived from the original on 3 May 2005.
- ^ "Anti-Polaris Protest at Dunoon. Angry Kerbside Exchanges". The Glasgow Herald. 15 May 1961. p. 8. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ "Dunoon, Dunoon Castle, U.S. Navy Submarine Monument | Canmore". canmore.org.uk.
- ^ "Declassified: US Nuclear Weapons At Sea - Federation Of American Scientists". Federation Of American Scientists. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ISBN 978-1610393584.
- ^ "Dunoon and the US Navy". Argyll Online. Archived from the original on 15 January 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
- ^ "After 30 years the last US submarine sails out". The Herald. 11 November 1991. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
External links
- Map sources for Holy Loch
- About Subs, Holy Loch - Webpage Archived 18 May 2020 at the Wayback Machine
- Benmore Botanic Garden
- USS Hunley (AS-31), Pictures while at the Holy Loch