Loch Striven

Loch Striven
Loch Sroigheann
Loch Striven at Inverchaolain.
Location Cowal, Argyll and Bute, Scotland.
Coordinates 55°55′44″N 5°04′15″W / 55.928753°N 5.0707625°W / 55.928753; -5.0707625Coordinates: 55°55′44″N 5°04′15″W / 55.928753°N 5.0707625°W / 55.928753; -5.0707625, grid reference NS0825874892
Type Sea Loch
Basin countries Scotland, United Kingdom.
Max. length 12 km (7.5 mi)
Surface elevation Sea Level
Frozen No

Loch Striven; (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Sroigheann) is a Sea Loch extending off the Firth of Clyde, and forms part of the Cowal peninsula coast, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.

Loch Striven extends off of the Firth of Clyde just North of the Isle of Bute, where it forms a narrow inlet about 8 miles (13 km) long extending North into the Cowal Peninsula.

Laid up ships

During times of recession in shipping, the Sea Loch has been used as a sheltered anchorage for laid-up vessels such as large oil tankers.The Danish shipping company Maersk used the Sea Loch for cold layup of some of its vessels namely the b- class vessels in its fleet.[1]. Also the (then) newly built LNG carriers MV Gastor and her sister ship MV Nestor were laid up here for many years, all the time from delivery from the shipyard Chantiers de l'Atlantique in 1976 until being sold 15 years later to Bonny Gas Transport in 1992 they were laid up here.[2]

World War II

The upper reaches of the Sea Loch, because of their secluded location, and their topographical similarity to Norwegian fiords, were used extensively for midget submarine (X-craft) training during World War II. The training programme was directed from HMS Varbel in Port Bannatyne to the South in the luxury Kyles Hydro Hotel, overlooking the Port, which was requisitioned by the Admiralty to serve as the HQ for midget submarine operations, including the top secret and audacious attack on the Tirpitz. Ardtaraig House, located at the head of Loch Striven, and similarly requisitioned by the Admiralty, became a secondary naval base for the 12th Submarine Flotilla midget submarines and became known as HMS 'Varbel II'.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Ships moored on loch during slump". BBC News. 30 June 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  2. ↑ Wayback archive page on mv Nestor & MV Gastor's history, visited 21 February, 2018
  3. ↑ Bute at War


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