MV Dayspring
![](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Corpach_Shipwreck_"MV_Dayspring",_Caol_-_geograph.org.uk_-_7633616.jpg) Dayspring grounded at Caol Beach in 2023 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Dayspring |
| Launched | 1975 |
| Commissioned | 1975 |
| Decommissioned | 2000 |
| In service | 26 June 1975 |
| Out of service | 12 September 2000 |
| Identification | SSR 147526 |
| Fate | Ran aground at Corpach, Scotland, 8 December 2011 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Fishing vessel |
| Tonnage | 188.7 |
| Length | 25.6 m (84 ft 0 in) |
| Beam | 7.2 m (23 ft 7 in) |
| Draught | 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in) |
MV Dayspring, also called the Corpach Wreck or the Old Boat of Caol,[1] was a fishing trawler that ran aground at Corpach, near Fort William, Loch Linnhe, Scotland. Her wreck remains beached there, and the site is now a popular attraction for photographers and tourists.[2][3][4][5]
History
[edit]Dayspring was built in 1975 by J. & G. Forbes & Co. in Sandhaven, Scotland. The vessel completed sea trials in Fraserburgh on 26 June 1975 and entered service immediately thereafter.[6][7]
She was operated as a pair trawler alongside Ocean Crest, captained by Louie Cardno, fishing for herring and mackerel. The vessel was renamed Golden Harvest and was skippered by Bertie Green of Fraserburgh. The vessel paired with Jim Green’s Replenish in the whitefish fishery. After Bertie Green the vessel was sold and relocated to Kilkeel, Northern Ireland where it was owned by Ernie McMath and was captained by Duncan MacInnes.[8][9]
On 12 September 2000 the vessel was sold to John Boyd of Kinlochleven and returned to Scotland.[10]
Operating as Golden Harvest the vessel undertook its final independent voyage from Kinlochleven to Kilkeel operated by James Maxtons & Co. before returning to Kinlochleven on 5 September 2001. It remained moored at Kinlochleven Pier and was not in active use. Boyd intended to convert the vessel into a floating seafood restaurant; the project was, however, abandoned.[6][11]
The vessel was sold in May 2008. Dayspring remained at Kinlochleven over the winter before being moved to Camas na Gall Bay, Loch Linnhe, on 7 July 2009, where a swinging mooring was installed. On 5 May 2010 the vessel arrived at Boyd Bros. pier and remained there temporarily while a semi-dry dock was prepared. It was subsequently berthed on the east side of Corpach Harbour alongside Boyd Bros. pier on 8 September 2010 for repairs.[12][3][13]
Loss
[edit]On the 8 December 2011 a storm tore the vessel from its moorings.[14][15] It beached in Loch Linnhe on a stretch of beach between the villages of Corpach and Caol where its wreck has remained ever since.[16][3] The wreck has since become a popular tourist attraction and photography location in the area.[17][18][19]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Corpach Shipwreck – fotospot". Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ Guide, Tammy Tour (2021-06-30). "Corpach's Abandoned Shipwrecks". Tammy Tour Guide. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- 1 2 3 "The Corpach Shipwreck: Everything You Need to Know 2023". Ella McKendrick. 2022-02-19. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ "Corpach Wreck - Hidden Scotland". hiddenscotland.com. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ "Is the Old Boat of Caol near Fort William Scotland's most photogenic shipwreck?". Press and Journal. 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- 1 2 Dayspring, M. V. "History". MV Dayspring. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ "One man and a boat: the story of MV Dayspring".
- ↑ "Corpach Shipwreck". 365 Project. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ "Eerie images of the world's most spectacular shipwrecks". loveexploring.com. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ "News and Views Edition 88 - EDITED 1st FEBRUARY 2025 Next Edition 3 MARCH 2025" (PDF).
- ↑ "Travel in Time #38 - Ben Nevis from Corpach". West Coast Today. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ "The curious tale of how the 'Corpach Wreck' became a Lochaber landmark". The Herald. 2021-07-18. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ "From Titanic to Dimitrios: 15 tragic shipwrecks caught on camera". sg.style.yahoo.com. 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ "Guide to the Old Boat of Caol, Scotland's most photogenic shipwreck in the Highlands". The Scotsman. 2023-08-28. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ ePHOTOzine. "MV Dayspring shipwreck by CarltonR". ePHOTOzine. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ "Wrecked Fishing Boat - Page". Cruise Loch Linnhe. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ↑ Taylor, Stuart (2022-05-20). "MV Dayspring, Corpach/Caol". highlanderimages photography. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ Smail, Alexander (2023-04-06). "Eerie shipwreck in Scottish Highlands captured in 'magnificent' sunset photos". Daily Record. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ "Your pictures of Scotland: Photographs from around the country". BBC News. 2026-03-20. Retrieved 2026-03-25.