VETERANS from Erskine were taken on a sail by a kind-hearted Largs Yacht Haven boat owner - and had a whale of a time.

The event came about after David Gillies heard about an appeal by the Erskine charity on the radio, and kindly made the offer.

It was a glorious Friday afternoon as four residents and two staff from Erskine were whisked over to Millport for a fantastic day out.

Craig Berry, activities co-ordinator for Erskine said: "It was a really fantastic day out, and we are very grateful to David and Amanda, who owned the boat, for their kindness.

"They had invited us out after hearing about Erskine Wishes Week on the radio.

"They had welcomed us on their boat, and they took us out round the Isle of Cumbrae, and we had a lovely buffet lunch with tea, coffee and cakes."

The News provided some archive material to David in relation to the Catalina, which sunk off Cumbrae during the Second World War, as veterans got the opportunity to find out more about the fascinating history of the Clyde.

Then the ex-forces senior citizens were thrilled when they had an encounter with Clyde dolphin Kylie during their sail.

Craig explained: "On the way there, we were going round a buoy and a dolphin came up and we took some pictures - they loved it."

Kylie the dolphin has become something of a local celebrity after being regularly spotted spinning around one of the buoys on Fairlie Bay - and seeing her was a magical moment to remember for the veterans of Erskine.

Erskine staff member Craig added: "David and Mandy were very nice and everyone just loved the whole experience.

"We would like to thank David and Amanda for a great day.

"They made us so welcome."