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THE last Clyde-built turbine steamship will return to Scotland next month thanks to Sunday Mail readers and a string of backers.

The TS Queen Mary will be towed from Tilbury Docks in Essex to the River Clyde where she was built and launched more than 80 years ago.

It will be the first time she has been in Scottish waters since 1985 and will happen ahead of schedule thanks to ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne.

Bosses at the ferry firm, who once owned the vessel, made the final donation which made it possible to bring her home.

Glasgow charity Friends of TS Queen Mary fought a two-year battle to rescue the ship.

They secured more than £300,000 in donations which paid for essential repairs to make her seaworthy again.

READ MORE:TS Queen Mary set to return to Scotland

Trustee and charity founder Iain Sim said: “It’s been a tremendous effort to raise such a vast amount so quickly.

“It wouldn’t have been possible without the fantastic support from prominent businesses like CalMac , the people Scotland and of course the readers of the Sunday Mail.”

The charity’s patron, actor Robbie Coltrane, said: “It’ll be absolutely fantastic to have her back where she belongs.

“Young people will be able to see just how beautiful boats were in the 1930s and people my age will be able to gaze at her nostalgically.”

The Sunday Mail first highlighted the story in 2013 and told how the ship lay rusting in Tilbury Docks.

The steamer had been left to decay after being bought by businessman Ranjan Chowdhury in 2011.

The Friends of TS Queen Mary bought her at auction last year for £20,000 after the ship was arrested by Forth Ports over non-payment of berthing fees.

The Sunday Mail-backed campaign Return of the Queen was launched to bring her back to the Clyde.

Forth Ports, V Ships, Ferguson Marine and The RHS Charitable Foundation all helped fund the return of the steamer.

The next generation of Clyde ship builders will now help restore her to her original splendour.

Iain added: “With an estimated £2million required to fully restore and refurbish her, the hard work will really start in earnest when she returns home.

“The trustees have worked hard to ensure apprentices will have a part to play in her restoration.”

(Image: DailyRecord)

The TS Queen Mary was built by Denny Brothers shipbuilders in Dumbarton and launched in 1933.

She started life as a leisure steamer, taking passengers “doon the Watter” from Glasgow to destinations such as Dunoon, Rothesay and Arran.

At the outbreak of WWII, TS Queen Mary helped maintain vital passenger and freight service between the mainland and the islands.

She was eventually retired in 1977 and spent several years as a floating restaurant. In 2008 she was sold to a private owner but plans to restore her failed and she fell into disrepair.

(Image: DailyRecord)

Iain added: “We’re determined the people of Scotland get the most out of this national treasure.”

Graeme MacFarlan, CalMac’s Head of commercial, said: “The history of TS Queen Mary is very much part of our own heritage and we’re proud to be able to play a small part in bringing her home to the Clyde.

“New generations can look forward to marvelling at this grande dame of the golden age of steam.”