Kilchoan to Host Olympics

Naval ships are a bit like London buses - you wait for one for ages, then several arrive together. So we were treated to a feast of naval power this morning, with five ships steaming north up the Sound of Mull in a very stately fashion.

Leading, in line ahead, was P842, Friesland, of the Royal Netherlands Navy. She was launched in February of this year and, despite her size, is classed as an offshore patrol vessel.

M108 is HMS Grimsby. Launched in 1999, she's one of the Royal Navy's Sandown Class minehunters....

....and M38 is HMS Atherstone, a Hunt Class minesweeper launched in 1986.

Fourth in line was M112, HMS Shoreham, a Sandown class minehunter and a ship we've seen before in the Sound. By RN standards she's fairly new, having been launched in 2001.

Taking up the rear was M111, HMS Blythe, another ship we've seen before, launched in 2001 and also a Sandown class minehunter.

According to The Herald newspaper, article here, the exercise off the west coast of Scotland is designed to test the navy's ability to cope with events such as a terror attack on the Olympics. We're a bit puzzled, as we didn't know we were hosting the Olympics - but Kilchoan is very prepared to do its share. What about synchronised swimming in the Sound of Mull?