How Scottish Trio of CalMac Ferries Played Crucial Part in Nuclear Planning

23rd January 2017

#FerryNuclear - In the event of a nuclear war between the West and Soviet Union, The Herald writes senior British Government officials would have survived on ships specially built by Caledonian MacBrayne as 'floating nuclear bunkers'.

Afloat adds that among the ferries, Columba (now cruiseship Hebridean Princess) would be hidden along the Scottish coast and in lochs. There is also speculation that the Royal Family (in recent years chartered the former Columba) would have been evacuated to one of these CalMac survival ships to last out the war.

The revelations about Scotland's role after an atomic war appear in top secret documents which have just been declassified following Freedom on Information requests from Cold War researcher Mike Kenner.

The papers detail the “Python” programme designed to keep the government running and the head of state alive in order for the British state to continue operating despite a nuclear exchange, mass deaths and radioactive fallout.

Kenner said: "According to a 2009 Cabinet Office statement, 'The Python plans that were valid from 1968 bear similarities to plans that are still current.' This explains why it has taken almost 50 years for the Cabinet Office to release any substantive information concerning the Python concept."

For much more including Columba's sisters click here.

Published in News Update

Tagged under

About The Author

Jehan Ashmore

Email The Author

Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven’t put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full–time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.