Dunoon’s shopkeepers received a very welcome shot in the arm today with the arrival of the liner MS Prinsendam. The 37,800-tonne Holland America Line vessel was berthed at Greenock on Tuesday but was forced to stay overnight due to the stormy weather. She was scheduled to leave Greenock at 17.00hrs on Tuesday however the departure was delayed until 06.45hrs on Wednesday, prior to the arrival of Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth.

This morning the ship was anchored off Strone and the Holy Loch. Passengers were ferried with the Prinsendam’s own launches between the mouth of the Loch and Holy Loch Marina. They were then shuttled by bus between Sandbank and Dunoon.

With some 835 mostly US tourists on board, Dunoon’s Argyle Street was buzzing with activity.

The Prisendam’s next cruise leaves Tilbury on 12 September for hopefully much improved weather conditions in the Mediterranean.

20.45hrs: Prinsendam is now off the island of Arran enroute to Portee, Skye.

Fire destroyed four caravans at Glenfinart Caravan Park in the early hours of Monday morning (18 April).

Local residents have expressed concern regarding the spate of events at the park over the past months which included a caravan being destroyed by fire in June of last year  and in February of this year armed police raided the site, arresting three people. We understand that the two men and a woman were charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

We are awaiting a response from Dunoon police regarding this latest incident.

In a Dunoon Observer front page report related to the proposed closure of Toward School, Councillor Alister McAlister made the observation that without a school, Ardentinny was now known locally as ‘Jurassic Park‘. We wonder if Ardentinny’s residents agree with Councillor McAllister’s labelling of our community?

Read the full article here.