Fishermen recall how 'yellow submarine' caught in net 20 years ago sparked months-long mystery

Two fishermen have recalled how a "yellow submarine" which was caught in a net 20 years ago sparked a months-long mystery.

John Baker, now 69, was fishing several miles from the Inner Hebrides coastline, near the Scottish island of Islay, in May 2005, when he spotted something peculiar in the water.

At first, he believed it was a buoy. However, the object actually turned out to be a 10ft yellow submersible weighing approximately 850kg.

Mr Baker said: "There was no way of getting it aboard, so we got a rope on it and started towing it."

Despite the vessel bearing Royal Navy markings on its exterior, the Ministry of Defence refused to acknowledge ownership of the craft.

As a result, the submersible ended up in the garden of Harold Hastie, Mr Baker's brother-in-law, at Port Ellen.

Soon, the curious object became a tourist attraction for locals and visitors alike, triggering theorising across the globe.

When the fishermen provided serial numbers from the vessel, the Royal Navy finally admitted the craft belonged to them.

In September 2005, minesweeper HMS Blyth arrived at Islay to collect the submersible.

The "yellow submarine" was later discovered to be a remotely-operated device designed for mine-clearing operations.

Mr Hastie, now 72, reminisced on how the story captured global attention.

He said: "It just grew arms and legs. What started as a local curiosity became something people were talking about all over the world.

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"One minute it's sitting there in Port Ellen, the next we're doing interviews with everyone every newspaper in Britain, BBC World Service, even calls from overseas. It just went mad."

The discoverer said: "I didn't buy a dram for three months. Everywhere you went, people wanted to hear about it."

Bruichladdich distillery, based on Islay, swiftly created a whisky inspired by the unusual vessel while it remained on the island.

In 2018, Bruichladdich obtained and restored a replica of the submersible, which now stands permanently in the distillery courtyard.

The distillery is now launching a limited edition 14-year-old single malt version of its Yellow Submarine whisky.

Known as the whisky capital, the isle is home to 10 working distilleries, including the legendary "malt mill" of Ardbeg, Lagavulina and Laphroaig.

But the land mass is also known for its Scottish wildlife, including wintering geese, Golden Eagles and Choughs, across miles of wild white-sand beaches.

A recent restoration project has boosted the eagle numbers to record levels while authorities look to reintroduce the winged species to England next.

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