PLANS are being hatched to bring a model of a celebrated ship built in Troon back to the town.

Troon Community Council vice-chairman Dougie Graham – a retired shipyard worker – saw the MV St Clair in the Shetland Islands Museum.

It was constructed at the Ferguson Ailsa Shipyard while he was an apprentice there.

He said: “Over the years we have seen some ship’s models disappear and on my holidays I found a model of the St Clair in the Shetland Islands Museum. I took some photos and it says lender Messrs Ferguson Ailsa Ltd and donated by Ferguson Ailsa.

“I am of the opinion that we should try and get this back. Fergusons were giving models away all over the place and it ended up I got them stopped and told them they were taking the history of Troon away. We got a van from Ayr and loaded it all up with models.”

The St Clair was a passenger ferry which ran between Aberdeen and Lerwick in 1970 and 1971 and was chartered by Belfast Steam Co Ltd to relieve Liverpool/Belfast ships for overhauls.Then in 1977, it became a livestock carrier.