Naval commander visits home port of Inverness

Lieutenant Nelson Mcmillan was greeted by close family and friends after arriving at Muirtown Basin with HMS Example, a P2000 class vessel, along its sister ship, HMS Explorer. Both ships, which are on a summer circumnavigation of Scotland, are part of the University Royal Naval Unit which raises awareness among undergraduates of career opportunities in the service.

The former Dingwall Academy pupil has been been in the Royal Navy for 11 years during which time he has seen service in the Middle East, South America, South Atlantic, Sierra Leone and the Mediterranean. The 29-year-old became one of the service’s youngest commanders two years ago when he took HMS Example along the Caledonian Canal for the first time.

Lieutenant Mcmillan, who will take up another appointment this winter, is now preparing to travel the canal with her a final time.

As the two ships leave Inverness tomorrow, they will negotiate the Muirtown locks about 9.20am before sailing along Loch Ness to Fort Augustus where they will stay overnight. They will then continue the journey westwards, eventually going to Greenock to support the Tall Ships race.

“It is a fitting and welcome coincidence that my first and final deployment in my tenure on board HMS Example is to Scotland and in particular to the region I was raised in,” said Lieutenant Mcmillan who is usually based in Newcastle. “It’s a fantastic part of the world and an excellent training ground for my embarked students.”

HMS Example will be open to visitors today between 2pm and 6pm.

* See tomorrow’s Inverness Courier for a further story and photographs of HMS Example’s visit to Inverness.