Records of Scott Lithgow Drydocks Ltd, Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland

Scope and Content

  • Board papers 1970-1979
  • Directors' reports and accounts 1967-1982
  • Directors'correspondence files 1959-1979
  • Company secretary's files 1960-1983
  • Financial records 1965-1980
  • Marketing and Public Relations records c.1960-c.1980
  • Ships papers for HMS Monowai 1975-1976
  • Miscellaneous papers 1964-1971

Administrative / Biographical History

The Firth of Clyde Dry Dock Company Ltd was incorporated as a limited liability company in 1958  , operating the dry dock facility at Inchgreen, Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland , from its opening in 1964. Its ability to accommodate ships of up to 150,000 dwt made it one of only seven such docks throughout the world. Operations were to be achieved mainly through pre-delivery docking and tankers discharging oil at the Finnart oil terminal located close-by. The original concept proved flawed and the company went became bankrupt in April 1967  , having failed to attract sufficient profitable ship repair business to sustain it.

In 1967 Scotts' Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd , Greenock, and Lithgows Ltd , Greenock, took over the Firth of Clyde Dry Dock Company Ltd , on a 50/50 shareholding basis. The company names was changed to Scott Lithgow Drydocks Ltd in the same year.

From the outset, Scott Lithgow Drydocks Ltd was regarded as a necessary adjunct of the new building activities of Scott Lithgow Ltd . Priority at both the repair/fitting-out quay and the large drydock was always given to the new building side. There was some hope of winning ship repair work but no expectation of developing a major ship repair complex. In the end dependence upon Scott Lithgow Ltd failed to provide sufficient work.

At the time of nationalisation, June 1977, the company was operating at a loss. In September 1977, proposals were made to British Shipbuilders to allow the company to be absorbed by Scott Lithgow Ltd . The company ceased trading in March 1979  .

Arrangement

This material is arranged into series, which consist of numbers of items related by function and/or format. Within series, the items are generally arranged chronologically.

Access Information

Open

Acquisition Information

National Archives of Scotland : 1994

Held under the charge and superintendence of the Keeper of the Records of Scotland

Other Finding Aids

Manual file level list of the Scott Lithgow Group collection available in searchroom

Alternative Form Available

No known copies

Conditions Governing Use

Requests for large scale copying must be referred to the Keeper of the Records of Scotland

Any requests to publish or reproduce documents from the collection must be referred to the Keeper of the Records of Scotland

Appraisal Information

This material has been appraised in line with National Archives of Scotland procedures

Custodial History

Records held by Scott Lithgow Ltd prior to acquisition by the National Archives of Scotland

Accruals

None expected

Related Material

See source list on Shipping and Shipbuilding Industry available via the Glasgow University Archive Services homepage

GB 248 GD 319 Records of Scotts' Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd

GB 248 GD 320 Records of Lithgows Ltd

GB 248 GD 323/1 Records of Scott Lithgow Ltd

GB 248 GD 323/13 Records of Lithgows Ltd

GB 248 GD 323/23 Records of British Shipbuilders

GB 248 UGD 239 Records of Firth of Clyde Drydock Co Ltd , including notebooks and photographs, 1964-1967

Bibliography

No known publications using this material

Additional Information

This material is original

The fonds level of description was compiled by David Powell, Hub Project Archivist, 16 October 2001

No alterations made to date