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The Ayrshire Story

The Vessel

The Ayrshire was a Canadian softwood built, barque rigged vessel of 625 tons built in Quebec from oak, elm, tamarac and red pine in about 1845. The barque rig was considered a basic form of rig. It was easy to man and therefore economical to run, offsetting the fact that it was not the best rig for speed. The history of the Ayrshire highlights the life cycle of a typical mid nineteenth century merchant vessel that formed the backbone of world trade. Too learn more about the early history of the Ayrshie see here

The Sinking

The Ayrshire, on route from Quebec to Liverpool was driven north towards Shetland in a storm. On sighting land the Ayrshire sought shelter in the lee of the land. That night the anchor chains of the Ayrshire broke and she was run under bare poles into Gilsabight, Shetland,  where she was driven ashore in the middle of a snow storm. To learn more about the wrecking of the Ayrshire see here.

Discovery of the wreck

The wreck is of regional archaeological and historical interest and was discovered by members of the Sullom Voe Sub Aqua Club. During the summer of 2001 the wreck was investigated as part of a Nautical Archaeology course by divers from the Sullom Voe Sub Aqua club and Lerwick Sub Aqua Club, and instructors from the Nautical Archaeology Society (Scotland) training course. To find out more about the discovery of the wreck see here.

 

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