Two fishermen have recalled how they unexpectedly hauled in a “yellow submarine” off the coast of Islay more than 20 years ago, sparking a months-long mystery. John Baker, now 69, was working a few miles off the Inner Hebrides island when he came across the strange vessel in May 2005.
Despite Royal Navy markings on the side of the yellow submersible, the Ministry of Defence initially denied it owned the craft. Mr Baker said he initially thought it was a buoy but soon realised it was “something significant”. He said: “There was no way of getting it aboard, so we got a rope on it and started towing it.”
The submarine ended up in the garden of Harold Hastie, Mr Baker's brother-in-law, in Port Ellen, where it became a local tourist attraction. The mystery attracted international media attention. It was only in September 2005 that the Royal Navy dispatched minesweeper HMS Blyth to retrieve the craft, after eventually admitting it was its property. The “yellow submarine” was in fact a remotely-operated vehicle used in mine-clearing operations.
Mr Hastie, now 72, reflected on the global interest. He said: “It just grew arms and legs. What started as a local curiosity became something people were talking about all over the world.” Bruichladdich distillery on Islay quickly created a whisky named after the vessel and is now releasing a new 14-year-old limited edition single malt. In 2018, the distillery acquired and restored a replica version of the submersible, which now stands in its courtyard as a permanent reminder of the episode.
