On an unforgettable day, two ministers from SCANA; Ainslie Walton and myself, sailed to Coulport and Faslane at the invitation of Greenpeace aboard their ice-breaker Artic Sunrise.

We were joined in the trip by MSPs from different political parties, as well as representatives from the Peace Camp, F365, Trident Ploughshares and CND.

As we drew near to Faslane, Ainslie and I then were invited to climb down a rope onto a rigid inflatable speedboat (RIB) to lay a wreath for peace on the water as close to the base as the MOD’s own speedboats would allow. On a couple of occasions we were cut off by their boats as they tried to prevent us getting closer to the sinister submarines. 

He laid the wreath in water in memory of those who had died already as a result of nuclear weapons and with the prayer that the weapons alongside us would never be used.

The water rose high around us and we were soaked to the skin. Recording this was a videographer and a photographer, and it took a few attempts  before they got the shots they were happy with. As a result, we kept having to throw the wreath into the water and haul it back on board again so we could repeat the exercise!