Arran sea watchers were quick to react when what appeared to be a large fishing vessel was spotted off the coast of Arran last weekend.
After hastily making inquiries, the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) was able inform people that the 27-metre-long blue and white ship called Alba na Mara was in fact a fisheries research vessel operated by Marine Scotland.
COAST posted on social media: ‘This vessel is not a commercial fishing vessel. It is the Alba Na Mara and is a Marine Scotland research vessel which is currently operating around Arran; including within the South Arran MPA and the Lamlash Bay No Take Zone.’