YOU never forget your first minigun...A youngster inspects one of HMS Edinburgh’s last lines of defence during the destroyer’s four-day flag-flying visit to Leith.
She was one of more than 3,000 people who sampled life aboard the Type 42 as the ship took a break from a punishing early spring training schedule.
The Fortress of the Sea has just completed Operational Sea Training off Plymouth and is just about to embark on the latest Joint Warrior war game off North-west Scotland.
In between she found just enough time to pay her first visit to Edinburgh in more than two years.
“It is great to be able to bring Scotland’s capital ship back home,” said CO Cdr Paul Russell. “We’ve just completed a major refit and this is a welcome opportunity to reaffirm our affiliation with the city in advance of our six-month overseas deployment that starts next month.”
His ship held a reception and capability demonstration for local dignitaries and the wider ship’s family and staged guided tours for local Sea Cadets, members of the RNA and youngsters interested in joining the Senior Service.
Edinburgh’s sailors were invited to a golf championship which took place at Silverknowes course. Sailors who prefer larger, oddly-shaped balls were guests of Edinburgh RFC at Murrayfield as they hosted Neath Swansea Ospreys (and triumphed 23-16).
During the transit to Edinburgh from the ship’s home in Portsmouth, the ship’s company took part in a triple ironman competition: two teams of five swam, cycled and ran up to Edinburgh (the swimming was actually completed in the pool before sailing, but the other disciplines were completed onboard).
The destroyer has now sailed around Scotland to joint the force mustering for Joint Warrior – the biannual international sea-land-air war games directed from Faslane.
After that there’s a relatively short period of leave in Portsmouth before she sails to the South Atlantic to relieve her sister HMS York.
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