Royal Navy: HMS Prince of Wales sails up River Clyde heading closer to Glen Mallan after Portsmouth departure

HMS Prince of Wales is heading towards Glen Mallan in Loch Long, Scotland, after leaving her home port of Portsmouth on Friday. Crowds gathered in Old Portsmouth, next to the Spinnaker Tower, and at Spice Island to watch the 65,000 tonne warship depart.

Sailors are on their way to The Northern Ammunition Jetty for a routine logistics visit. A Royal Navy spokesperson previously said: “The aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales is preparing for sailing to Glen Mallan in Scotland for ammunitioning ahead of future operations.” The Lochside Press report that the A814 between Whistlefield and Arrochar will be closed, as well as the C69 Glen Douglas road, in preparation for the ship’s arrival.

The jetty itself was fully refurbished in 2022, allowing for aircraft carriers to be replenished with ammunitions. VolkerStevin carried out the project after a £67m contract was awarded by Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). The jetty is operated by Defence Equipment and Support personnel.

Shortly after the work was completed, Craig MacDonald, DIO's project manager, said: “It’s been such a pleasure to work on such a nationally-important and dynamic project. The project has faced numerous challenges, but they have been overcome with good teamwork, communication and collaboration. It’s great to see this vitally important facility now in full operation.”

HMS Prince of Wales left Portsmouth two days after HMS Queen Elizabeth returned after spending several months in Rosyth to fix a starboard propeller shaft misalignment fault.