A Royal Navy submarine carrying Trident nuclear missiles has returned to its Scottish base after a record-breaking 217 days spent submerged on patrol.
The 140-strong crew of HMS Vengeance have spent the tour in almost total isolation beneath the surface after setting out from Faslane, near Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, on 12 April.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting was at HM Naval Base Clyde to welcome them home after the longest deployment at sea for a British vessel.
The typical patrol length for the UK’s Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines has more than doubled in recent years, with six-month durations now routine due to a shortage of seaworthy vessels.
Crew members could be seen standing on HMS Vengeance as it travelled up Gare Loch earlier, accompanied by some smaller Naval support vessels and tug boats.
The vessel was encrusted in marine growth and some of its sound-absorbing tiles were missing.
HMS Vengeance was expected back at Faslane last weekend, but that was reported to have been delayed, external when the submarine replacing it on patrol had to return to base to fix a technical fault.
The head of the navy, First Sea Lord Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins, praised the dedication of submariners in keeping Nato safe at a conference last week in Oslo, but said the UK must do better at maintaining the fleet.