The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Yard looking good as it sails past its centenary
Community ties and carriers key to base’s bright future
For a century they have built and serviced the ships that protect our country.
However, for the next few days the staff at Rosyth Dockyard will be letting their hair down, as employees past, present and possibly future celebrate 100 years of engineering excellence.
Three days of events will mark the centenary, including the Royal Academy of Engineering’s prestigious “summer soiree”.
Under the shadow of HMS Prince of Wales – one of two giant aircraft carriers under construction for the Royal Navy – Archie Bethel, CEO of yard owner Babcock, said that the next 100 years looks bright for the site.
“It’s great to be finishing this century on a high and still working on this and other projects,” he said.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for the whole workforce and we’ve been able to bring in apprentices and graduates and even given great experience to people who have been here longer-term.
“We’ve invested heavily in the site and we look forward to these carriers coming back to be refitted and looked after.”
Looking to the future, 100 pupils from across Fife and elsewhere in Scotland will visit the dockyard today to learn about the skills required to become an engineer.
They will witness the giant aircraft carriers under construction, while also taking in an exhibition hosted by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Guests and employees of Babcock, past and present, will see a time capsule buried at the site on Monday.
Aware of the important role that the dockyard has to play in Rosyth and across Fife, Mr Bethel told The Courier the company would remain an integral part of Scotland’s engineering landscape for years to come.
“We are very much a part of the community,” he said. “For generations peo- ple from the same family have worked here so we are aware of our importance and that helps to make us strong.
“We’ve got a deep-rooted relationship with the community and, in the long-term, that’s what counts.
“We start this century with a big workload. The carriers will come back here throughout their lifetimes and we’re also very busy in the North Sea, for the oil and gas sector and offshore renewables. One thing this place is not short of is interesting projects.”