[A] mere thirty minute ferry ride from Glasgow lies the Isle of Bute, an exquisite, cookie-cut piece of premium Scotland in all its beauty dropped into the Clyde within easy reach and the location of many an enjoyable fishing and diving holiday for Bluebird Project leader, Bill Smith.
Rich in heritage – Ettrick Bay on the west coast was the site of the first powered flight in Scotland and the training ground for soldiers destined for the D-Day landings whilst the midget submarine X-Craft, aimed at battleship Tirpitz, limbered up on the other side of the island in Rothesay Bay. But, most importantly for the Bluebird Project, is the mile and a half of flat, secluded water striking through the middle of the isle – Loch Fad.
[i]Bluebird K7[/i] – Donald Campbell’s legendary jet hydroplane, in build for the past ten years, is now almost complete and ready to take to the water once more. Her long anticipated resurrection, upon which she will again run at speed for demonstration purposes before going on public display, awaits only an invitation to operate on a suitable waterway with Coniston Water being the team’s first choice. But before that she must be thoroughly worked back to fighting fitness along with her operating team.
After considering various UK bodies of water, the Bluebird Project team decided that Loch Fad would be the ideal location for our crew training exercise.
They are thrilled that, after extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders on the island, agreement was reached to travel to Bute in August 2018, with assistance from the British Army, to get [i]Bluebird K7[/i] waterborne again and under her own power for the first time in over half a century as an integral part of bringing this iconic craft, along with her historic, educational and inspirational value back to the forefront of the public conscience.
