SHIELD OF EMPIRE: THE ROYAL NAVY AND SCOTLAND.

Description

Although the Royal navy has always been seen as predominantly an English institution, a large contribution has been made from Scots, from Admiral Adam Duncan, whose celebrated victory over the Dutch at Camperdown in 1797 is widely regarded as one of the most significant actions in naval history, to Andrew Cunningham, Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean from 1939 to 1942 and First Sea Lord from 1943 to 1946. In addition, in two world wars, and since the 1960s, a large proportion of the Navy's power has been based in Scotland, from the grand Fleet at Scapa Flow to Trident submarines at Faslane. Most British sailors of the Second World War had part of their training in Scotland, and the famous base at Tobermory on Mull in which raw crews were trained up in record time to take part in the Battle of the Atlantic was only one of many. Yet the Navy never felt at home in Scotland. As one Scottish admiral put it: 'In both wars the Royal Navy flooded into Scotland to make use of our deep water ports and sea lochs for large-scale and safer anchorages. After each war the Navy unimaginatively retreated en masse to the Channel.' In this book, Brian Lavery examines the Scottish element within the Navy over the centuries, as well as naval engagements which have occurred in Scottish waters. His detailed and entertaining book includes a unique account of the setting-up of the controversial missile bases in the Holy Loch and Gareloch and finishes by considering the effects that devolution has had and the consequences that independence might have on Scotland and the Royal Navy. -- Inside jacket flap.

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