A luxurious, thick pile red carpet leads you along the quay to the door of Fingal. And, as you step across the threshold, there is a distinct feeling of going back in time, back to an era of old-world glamour and style. But if you had truly stepped back in time on this beautiful ship, you would find yourself at the mercy of the elements, part of a crew taking essential supplies and equipment to the lighthouses of Scotland.
For, although the ship you see today is a five-star began life 60 years ago as a lighthouse tender. Commissioned by the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) in 1963, she was the last ship to be built by the Blythswood Shipbuilding Company in Glasgow and spent most of her working life stationed in Oban, ferrying lighthouse keepers, essential supplies and maintenance staff to lighthouses along the west coast and the north of Scotland.
