Cairnryan

Cairnryan is a small Scottish village overlooking Loch Ryan and is notable today for its large modern ferry port, operated by P&O, which links Scotland with Larne in Northern Ireland. The village has been of vital importance in maritime history.

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During the Second World War, Cairnryan became No.2 Military Port, and three harbour piers and a military railway linking the village with nearby Stranraer were built by the army.

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Thousands of troops were based locally in military camps. At the end of the war the Atlantic U-Boat fleet surrendered in Loch Ryan and were anchored here before being towed to sea and sunk.

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For a period after the war the port was used to load superfluous ammunition onto barges for dumping at sea - a hazardous task, which took the lives of several.

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Ship breaking became the main industry; the great British aircraft carriers Centaur, and most famously the Ark Royal were all sent here for decommissioning. As recently as 1990, Russian submarines have been dismantled here for scrap.

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Scottish: Scottish can refer to:...

Village: :For a list of references which "The Village" could refer to, see The Village...

Loch Ryan: Loch Ryan is a Scottish sea loch that furnishes a natural sheltered anchorage for ships....