Scotts

Still very much in the research stage.

The East India Harbour, Victoria Harbour and the James Watt Dock provide the backdrop to many of James Watt's painting. It was in those harbours and docks that many of the works were actually painted.

And often, right there, somewhere in the detail, often in the distance, is Scotts.

Officially it was called Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited, founded by John Scott in 1771. Through succeeding generations they specialised in naval shipbuilding, and by 1900 were overseeing the construction of the Taikoo Dockyard in Hong Kong. Lots of mergers and takeovers in the company history... in 1967 becoming Scott Lithgows, and ten years later, nationalised as part of the British Shipbuilders. By 1983 the Scott Lithgow yards were sold to Trafalgar House - some irony in that name - which had interests in property, engineering, construction, shipping, hotels, energy and publishing, but sadly, it seems, not in shipbuilding on the Clyde. No further shipbuilding was undertaken and the 270 year old Scotts shipbuilding company finally ceased trading in 1993.

By 1997 the shipyards which James Watt painted so often, had been gradually demolished.

Scotts.