Valkyrie

The steel motor fishing vessel Argosy was launched from the Campbeltown Shipyard Co Ltd yard (Yard No 11) on 126th June 1972.  She measured 22.52 m x 6.71m x 2.84m and her tonnage was 68 gross tons.   She was powered by an 8 cylinder Caterpillar D346TA diesel engine delivering 480 brake horse power. Ordered by Arthur Duffie and Co Ltd of Lossiemouth she was registered in Inverness INS79.  In 1975 she was sold to Joseph Gault and Partners of Lossiemouth who renamed her Swiftsure. In 1979 she was sold again to Daniel Edwards, also from Lossiemouth who renamed her Valkyrie.  In the intervening years her engines were upgraded to a 565 brake horse power Caterpillar unit. 

On 13th March 1991 Valkyrie pulled out of Lerwick harbour around 11:35am under the command of skipper Danny Edwards who had a crew of six Moray fishermen aboard en route to the fishing grounds.  Only one hour later Shetland Coastguard picked up a message from the Inverness MFV Rosemary saying that Valkyrie had sunk.  She had struck rocks off Bard Head, Bressay and quickly filled.  The crew managed to launch the Valkyrie’s liferaft and scramble aboard before she sank and were safely picked up by Rosemary which was escorted back into Lerwick harbour by the lifeboat Soldian which had been quickly launched and reached the scene.  

It is reported that the Valkyrie was raised from the seabed at a later date but sank again immediately.  The wreck of the Valkyrie lies in position 60° 06.345’N, 01° 05.383’W.  She lies in 45 metres with a least depth clearance of 40 metres.  The wreck sits upright leaning against a rock ledge.

We’d like to thank Kevin Pickering for the use of his photographs of the wreck in this article.