Supercarrier HMS Queen Elizabeth returns to Scotland to dock at Loch Long

The Royal Navy supercarrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has returned to Scotland once more, as she docks at a munitions depot on the west coast.

The supercarrier is docked for supplies.

The carrier is currently berthed at Glen Mallan, at Loch Long, in Argyll and Bute.

The Royal Navy’s fleet flagship has arrived as part of final preparations before her first operational deployment.

Sailing in along the Firth of Clyde, the 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier has spent the last two weeks at sea testing and trialling her latest equipment, before berthing at the new Northern Ammunition Jetty for a routine onload of operational stores.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth is at Glen Mallan.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is the first of the Royal Navy’s fleet to visit the new £64m facility, built by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).

Operated by Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) through Defence Munitions, the Northern Ammunition Jetty is specifically designed to support the surface fleet, allowing them to continue entering and berthing at Glen Mallan.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “HMS Queen Elizabeth has a very proud affiliation to Scotland and it is only fitting she returns before her first operational deployment later this year.

“The £64m investment into the new Northern Ammunition Jetty reaffirms our commitment to supporting our core capabilities and defence estate across all corners of the UK.”

Captain Angus Essenhigh, HMS Queen Elizabeth Commanding Officer, added: “We are very proud of the close connection our ship has with Scotland, especially with our affiliated city of Edinburgh.

“HMS Queen Elizabeth embodies the best of British engineering and craftsmanship, including Scottish shipbuilding, and it is a privilege to return to her birthplace of Scotland.”