The Scottish Maritime Museum on Irvine Harbourside will once again light up red in support of the Scottish Poppy Appeal.

The exterior of the vast, A Listed, Victorian Linthouse, which is home to Scotland’s nationally recognised collection of maritime heritage, will turn red from Sunday 1st to Wednesday 11th November in respect of Remembrance Sunday on 8 November and Armistice Day on Wednesday 11 November.

Each year the national Light Up Red campaign raises awareness of the Scottish Poppy Appeal with buildings large and small lit up across the country.

 Stuart Rich, Visitor Services Manager at the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine, explains:

“We are delighted to help raise awareness of the Scottish Poppy Appeal once again by lighting the exterior of the Linthouse red.

“With Covid-19 having a massive impact on the Appeal’s ability to run street collections, they need as many buildings and organisations as possible to take part and help raise more awareness than ever before.

“Built as the Engine Shop of Alexander Stephen and Sons in Govan in 1872 and extending over 40,000 square feet, the Linthouse is an impressive sight every day but seeing it illuminated is quite special and we hope it will help spread the Scottish Poppy Appeal’s message.”

The Linthouse features some of Scotland’s most historic vessels, the country’s largest collection of shipbuilding tools and engineering and inventions which influenced maritime history across the world.

Vessels include MV Spartan, the only surviving Scottish-built ‘puffer’ in Scotland (which visitors can now step inside to view a permanent exhibition on Puffers); SY Carola, possibly the world’s oldest seagoing steam yacht; MV Kyles, the oldest Clyde-built vessel still afloat in the UK and recognised as one of Britain’s most important historic vessels; Powerful, a hundred year old William Fife III sailing yacht, believed to be one of only 50 world-wide seaworthy Fife yachts; and BOLT18, an all electric boat and yacht tender, which holds the current British Water Speed Record (Unrestricted Electric Runabout Class) of 32.77 mph.

Inventions include the first steam turbines which became a standard form of propulsion changing transport forever; engineering for the swing bridge at Glasgow’s first dock; and the Kelvin Marine Engine of 1906 which serviced small vessels the world over, from the West coast fishing fleet to Saudi Arabian dhows and Egyptian hotel ships.

The Museum’s national collection of maritime related art includes works by renowned artists such as John Bellany, FCB Cadell, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Muirhead Bone and Kate Downie.