Summer afternoon in port.

Leyland Comet BSC535B belonging to Croan's Kippers is loaded up and ready to leave Port Appin for the fleshpots of the south. Or should that be fish pots? The driver and his mate finish off their bait and they'll be on their way.

Technical details: The fishing boat (probably a scallop dredger) is a much weathered and remodelled Heller kit. It's probably a bit late for the scene but it's passable. I'm told that 'proper' fishermen hate the scallop dredgers because they just drag great chains behind them to loosen the shells and every other living thing and the nets scoop it all up. There is a lot of waste and the breeding grounds for lobster, crabs and wobbly things takes a long while to recover.

The old railway van is abandoned now - it's 1965 and the railway has lost out to road haulage for moving the perishable goods quickly. The line from nearby Appin took nearly an hour to reach Connel where the Callander and Oban and the south could be accessed. In July 1965 the line became passengers only and the passengers were predominantly 70 or so schoolchildren. The line closed completely in July 1966.

The lorry is a Base Toys cab (£6ish) , repainted and new decals added. The load of fish boxes is made from some fish box artwork I assembled from old photographs (of a Croan's lorry at Ullapool). I printed them off and attached them to a plastic boxed frame. The sheeting is Bacofoil painted green - because it crumples and creases to look like canvass. Black cotton gives the impression of roping.

There you go, you can all make your own now!