Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
23 May 2013 09:26
Police patrol Oban bay near the Corrin Hall conference centre at the start of the three day Scottish Labour party conference Oban.
A small cruise liner which become stuck on sand and gravel off the coast of Oban Bay on the west coast of Scotland has been refloated. The MS Serenissima, registered in the Caribbean island chain of the Grenadines, ran aground at about 6.30pm on Monday evening with 112 passengers on board, while making the journey from Ireland to Oban.
The initial attempt to free the ship failed due to high winds, but it was eventually refloated at around 1.10am on Tuesday morning. There were no reports of injuries and no signs of pollution or damage to the ship, Stornoway Coastguard said, but the incident highlights the importance of passengers taking out cruise travel insurance to cover them in the event of an accident or delay.
The liner was kept anchored in Oban Bay while divers carried out underwater surveys of the 85m vessel to confirm its seaworthiness. "The initial attempt at refloating the ship used its own engine with the lifeboat providing assistance by pulling at the stern," an Oban Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) spokesman said. "Unfortunately this attempt was hampered by a strong wind blowing the ship towards the shore, and was unsuccessful."
22 September 2017
A new computer code that can be applied to GP surgery data could be the answer to identifying those most at risk of developing bowel cancer.
[more...]
21 September 2017
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a warning over a growing resistance to antibiotics.
20 September 2017
Thousands of Ryanair flights have been cancelled over the next six weeks, as the airline says it "messed up" allocation of its pilots' annual leave.
19 September 2017
Manchester's Girlguides are being urged to help the elderly with a new badge incentivising youngsters to tackle senior loneliness.
16 September 2017
Holidaymakers are being evacuated as winds up to 200km per hour hit Central Vietnam, with Typhoon Doksuri damaging houses, roads and infrastructure.
15 September 2017
People in parts of East Anglia are eight times more likely to survive liver disease than Blackpool residents, according to new data by Public Health England (PHE).
14 September 2017
A non-invasive alternative to gastric bypass surgery that helps people with Type 2 diabetes lose weight is being recommended for widespread use by NHS experts.
13 September 2017
Almost half of UK adults travelling to areas at risk of malaria are not covering themselves by taking medication, despite recommendations made by the NHS and world health organisations.
12 September 2017
A new health warning has been issued by scientists in Sweden, suggesting e-cigarettes with nicotine could lead to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
09 September 2017
Researchers have developed a futuristic pen-like device that can tell whether someone has cancer much faster than current technology.
08 September 2017
A staffing crisis in the NHS is seeing cancer patients turned away from their GP surgery and instead visiting A&E, a report has claimed.
07 September 2017
Whether it's binge-watching box-sets, shopping for clothes, chatting to friends or picking up work emails, staying connected is pretty much essential to everyday life.