It has been six years, but now HMS Montrose is coming home to her adopted town for the first visit since 2008.
HMS Montrose, which celebrated her 20th anniversary in service with the Royal UK Navy on June 2, will sail into the harbour early on Tuesday (July 1) for a six-day visit going alongside at North Quay.
It is a much anticipated ‘homecoming’ for the crew and their schedule in Montrose is packed, kicking off on the day she arrives with a capability demonstration on board for invited guests in the evening, including the Duke of Montrose, after whom the ship is named.
The following day (Wednesday July 2), HMS Montrose’s ship’s company will be honoured and humbled to exercise their Freedom of Angus for only the second time since it was conferred in 2002.
The parade will finish in George Street at around 7pm and they will then be guests of Angus Council at a civic reception afterwards in Montrose Town Hall.
On Thursday (July 3), the public will have the opportunity visit HMS Montrose from 10am to 5pm – last access to ship at 4pm.
The ship’s busy calendar continues on Saturday when a marching platoon will join colleagues from the Army and RAF to take part in Dundee’s Armed Forces Day parade.
A number of local youth organisations, including Sea Cadets from Grampian, Fife and Tayside, will also get their chance to find out about the ship with pre-arranged tours on board during the weekend.
[mappress] Press Release, June 30, 2014; Image: UK Navy