Locals got the chance to see a huge warship as it left its base in Fife on Tuesday.
HMS Prince of Wales has been sitting in the Forth for the past few days after undergoing months of repairs at Rosyth.
The £3.2 billion vessel – which broke down off the Isle of Wight nearly a year ago – has now begun its journey back south.
It left southern Fife just before 2pm on Tuesday, travelling beneath the Forth bridges before heading out to sea.
And we are off!🚢 @HMSPWLS is officially on route across the Firth of Forth this afternoon❤️ @NewForthBridge @ForthBridges pic.twitter.com/MJF0GqSvoI
— Traffic Scotland (@trafficscotland) July 25, 2023
HMS Prince of Wales travelled to Rosyth in October for the work.
A team of engineers and civilian engineers then carried out repairs to the propeller shafts on the ship.
Since leaving the dry dock on Friday, the 65,000-tonne vessel has been going through propulsion trials in the Forth.
It is now travelling to Portsmouth, where it will gear up for deployment to the USA in the autumn.
The carrier will replace the HMS Queen Elizabeth as the UK’s flagship towards the end of 2024.
Commander Helen Jones, the carrier’s Commander Marine Engineering, said: “The team on board have risen to the challenge of returning this ship to sea and we are looking forward to testing the systems and returning to operations for the Royal Navy.”
