To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the town, new information panels, with replica rivets, relics and images from the yards, have been unveiled at the landmark in Coronation Park.
Since it was installed three years ago the towering feature has become a fixture of Port Glasgow‘s shoreline, lighting up to support of campaigns including cancer and other illnesses as well as paying tribute to victims of war and the Holocaust.
It most recently featured on ITV’s flagship morning show GMB alongside 10 Downing Street, the Titantic Museum and Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge as part of their campaign to tackle loneliness and encourage volunteering.
Now the stories and lives of those who worked in the yards are being brought to life in the eight information boards surrounding the 33 foot tall stainless steel figures
Councillor Michael McCormick, convenor of the council’s environment and regeneration committee, said: “These striking new panels are a wonderful addition to the now famous Shipbuilders of Port Glasgow sculptures and Coronation Park.
“They celebrate the town’s rich shipbuilding and industrial links and are themselves works of art specifically designed as a nod to the heavy industries that proudly served the town for decades and even centuries.
“The sculptures are visited by thousands of people each year and seen by countless more online around the world through the photos and videos and various light-up campaigns.
“Now we have panels that help bring the sculptures to life by sharing the stories of the past that inspired their creation and they will be a wonderful accompaniment for many more people from near and far who visit to see the sculptures for themselves.”
The councillor also recalled his joy at having such a fantastic centrepiece in Coronation Park, which played such an important part in his own family’s life, with his dad Jim a proud Portonian.
Port Glasgow councillor Robert Moran, who worked in Kingston yard as an apprentice, was moved by the stories and memories.
But he says that even more must be done to celebrate the lives of those who worked in the yards.
He added: “It is a start but we must do more to pass on our heritage. I worked in the yards and ended up travelling all over the world to Africa and Europe because of the skills from the yards.”
Councillor Chris Curley, who also represents the ward says that he is proud that the ‘Skelpies’ is now so recognisable.
He added: “It is important that we highlight our past but also look to the future, we want to make sure that shipbuilding remains in Inverclyde.
“The Shipbuilders of Port Glasgow is so widely photographed so many times and it is in a great location allowing people to come to Coronation Park, walk round the sculpture and learn more.”
The new panels tell the story of Port Glasgow, including the nearby Ferguson’s yard, looking back at industry such as ropemaking at the Gourock Ropeworks, and celebrating the wider history of the town, which was once the gateway to the world, all sat alongside images from the past.
They also look at the origins of the park and the other towns and villages of Inverclyde.
The Shipbuilders of Port Glasgow sculpture, designed by renowned artist John McKenna, was installed in 2022 to commemorate the men and women who worked in the shipyards of the Lower Clyde.
The panels were commissioned by Inverclyde Council during Port Glasgow’s 250th anniversary year in 2025 and carry the Discover Inverclyde tourism branding, which promotes the area locally and further afield.
The project was funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
