A resident of Waternish on the Isle of Skye has reported seeing a submarine moving around in continuous circles in Loch Bay for several hours today.
52-year old retiree Michael Sullivan contacted the Free Press after spotting the submarine this morning from his home in Waternish.
He said: “We have never seen one in the bay before, we noticed it at about 10 o’clock this morning and thought it was going out but for most of the morning it has just been circling around.
“To be honest, I thought it might have been caught in a lobster pot – I know that sounds silly – now it is just virtually stationary.
Michael, who lives in close proximity to Loch Bay, said the submarine was visible through the naked eye from his house but after spotting it he had been keeping tabs on the boat with a pair of binoculars.
“I am not a marine expert, but it appears like the engine or whatever is propelling it is spinning, but it looks as though it’s stuck.
“When we watched it earlier there were two torrents of water coming out the left and right of the rear as if two engines were running but now it would appear there is just one running and it is just throwing up a lot of water spray.”
“I don’t know technically what is wrong with it, but I’m getting the feeling something is amiss here because I can’t see why it would just be where it is.”
He added: “We have seen a lot of ships, so I was just assuming that it has something to do with the exercise going on just now.
NATO has been carrying out the ‘Joint Warrior’ exercise off the west coast of Scotland since Saturday 30th March. The exercise is due to conclude tomorrow (Thursday 11th April.)
More than 10,000 military personnel, 35 warships, five submarines and 59 aircraft and helicopters from 13 countries have been taking part in Joint Warrior.
The aim of Joint Warrior is to allow the UK’s Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and their allies to conduct joint operations involving different forces and units and against a range of current and future threats.
The exercise is being controlled and directed from the Maritime Operations Centre at Scotland’s largest military establishment, HM Naval Base Clyde, with a range of air, surface, sub-surface, sea control and maritime security roles being rehearsed off the west coast of Scotland.
The Free Press contacted the Ministry of Defence to determine whether the submarine was indeed part of the Joint Warrior exercise. The MoD has said they are currently making inquiries concerning the submarine.
Article by Adam Gordon