HMNB Clyde

HMNB Clyde is the Royal Navy’s main shore base in Scotland. It stands on the eastern shore of Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, 25 miles west of Glasgow. The site includes two main parts: Faslane on Gare Loch and the Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Coulport on Loch Long. Faslane is also known as HMS Neptune and serves as home to Britain’s fleet of nuclear submarines. These include Vanguard-class boats armed with Trident missiles and attack submarines. The base supports 3,000 service personnel, 800 family members and 4,000 civilian workers. The base was chosen in the 1960s for its deep, sheltered waters and quick access to the North Atlantic. It became the home port for the Polaris submarines HMS Resolution, HMS Repulse, HMS Renown and HMS Revenge. Today it hosts the 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines and senior naval commands. Commodore Sharon Malkin commands the base, while Rear Admiral Submarines is also based there. In 2018 the Secretary of State for Scotland said the entire submarine fleet would be based at Faslane by 2020. Visitors see the grey waters of Gare Loch and the rugged hills behind the base. The RNAD Coulport site stores and maintains Trident missiles on Loch Long. Outside the gates a peace camp has stood since 1982, with regular protests every Wednesday. The base conducts annual safety exercises such as Evening Star to test nuclear accident responses. Despite occasional minor radiation incidents, the Ministry of Defence states there has been no risk to the public.