Scottish Flashback: Grounding of MV Nyon, 1958

THE MV Nyon was a Swiss-owned cargo ship that ran aground off the Berwickshire coast in November 1958.

Locals observe the stricken ship on November 17, 1958. Picture: TSPL

Nyon, built in 1952, was en route from Leith to Dakar in Senegal.

There was thick fog in the area at the time, and the ship - with over 30 crew on board - ran into trouble after hitting Meg Watson’s Rock, four miles northwest of St Abbs head.

Two forward holds were breached, with a total of five holes.

A fishing boat based in Eyemouth - the Emulate - brought bags of cement to the Nyon, in an attempt to plug the holes, while tugs George V and Beamish attempted to refloat the vessel without success.

On November 20, 23 of the crew were taken off the ship by a lifeboat, and the decision was made to cut the vessel in tow, salvaging the stern part.

The stern was towed to North Shields, arriving on November 28, while the bow section was left where it was, and was destroyed in heavy gales just days later.

The stern section was towed to Bolnes, in the Netherlands, and a new bow section was manufactured by NV Boeles Shipyards, and fitted in June the following year.