Beacon On The Gantocks On Visit To The Upper Firth Of Clyde Scotland

Tour Scotland travel video clip, with Scottish music, of a navigation beacon on the Gantocks a small cluster of rocks at the mouth of West Bay, south of Dunoon on visit to the Upper Firth Of Clyde. The Gantocks were a significant hazard to navigation until marked by their beacon, with a number of vessels being lost on the rocks, even in daylight. One of the biggest casualties of the Gantocks was the MV Akka, built in Gothenburg in 1942. On April 9, 1956, she was heading north up the Firth of Clyde, heading for Glasgow and laden with iron ore. The Skipper called for port helm to avoid the Gantocks but the vessel refused to answer and hit the edge of the rocks, causing a major split in the hull - the ship went down to the east of the rocks with the loss of three lives. The upper works, masts, and derricks of the wreck were all visible above the water, particularly at low tide, and were considered to be a hazard to navigation. The hazard was reduced when explosives were used to remove the exposed parts, and the position of the underwater remains marked by an east cardinal marker. A more well-known victim of the Gantocks was the Paddle Steamer (PS) Waverley on July 15, 1977. Approaching Dunoon, the steamer grounded on the rocks and was extensively damaged. All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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