The iconic Viking longship which sits in front of the Vikingar! took a significant blast during this week's storms - and had its mast broken off.
The longship has been an imposing monument in front of the leisure complex for the past 27 years, but the mast was broken off it during the gale force winds on Tuesday evening from Storm Jocelyn.
Lesley McCormack, who plays a Viking maiden in the popular Vikingar Visitor Attraction, told the News that she has been heartened by the calls of support she has received after posting a picture of the boat online on the Largs People page, with many suggestions made about replacing the mast.
However, Lesley, who is a Viking Festival director, said the longboat ship is in a poor state and actually needs fully replacing.
Lesley said: "Following Tuesday night's storm, the mast completely broke off the longship and landed on the road, and had to be picked up.
"It has been put back on to the boat but the problem with the longship is that it is not just the mast that needs replacing, but the whole boat. It is in a sorry state.
"It is not the first time that the mast has broken and back in 2004 we had it replaced. It is good to see that people are so interested.
"Unfortunately we have lost some of the prow and the hull is beyond repair, and it has more holes than a sieve. People have been very kind in offers of providing a new mast but the problem is that it has nothing to attach it to underneath.
"One suggestion has been to move it and burn it for the Festival of Fire display during the Viking Festival but I don't even think that is possible as it is rotting away.
"We need a new Viking longship and I have had a look at trying to get some funding.
"Looking at the Viking ship prow at Largs Railway Station, it would be good to get something similar to that for the Vikingar! grounds, even if that was possible, but we did make an enquiry and the cost was way beyond what we could afford. These clinker built boats are a dying art now in terms of their construction.
"The longship is a real talking point, and it is something all the schoolchildren point out and notice, and talk about when they visit."
"It is something that very much represents the Battle of Largs and is an iconic landmark and reminds everyone of 1263."
At present, the Vikingar is undergoing a substantial refurbishment which will be completed for April, with new digital upgrading of the Viking Experience.
But Lesley hopes that the community can help rally round and help towards a new longship attraction as part of the Largs Viking legacy.
Anyone who can help should get in touch with Lesley at the Vikingar!
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