Thank you, folks.

My friendly scrap dealer did say that the skipper had dredged up another proellor too – although I’m not sure whether that was at the same time or historic. It was apparently too big to keep on the deck – but, again, I don’t know if that might have been because it had all 4 blades and was therefore a more inconvenient size and shape overall.

Sounds like I may have to have a wee trip down to Peterhead to find the relevant boat and make further enquiries!

In the meantime, does anyone know of anywhere that might be interested in taking this prop? If not, it’ll be broken up and scrapped with all the rest of the junk in the yard.

I read elsewhere that “slick” Lancaster tyres are somewhat uncommon – a report on the salvage of one that crashed in the Highlands says the slick tyre they found there is the only one in existence.

The rest of the site has various curiosities, mostly vintage tractors and various more modern vehicles, apparently used in supplying stock cars. An interesting tall, slim beacon at the gate, too, which I must ask the guy what it is.

We have a few of these sites up here (Aberdeenshire), where old guys have been collecting scrap for years … it makes my job very interesting because I never know what I’m going to find, often in places I’ve driven past dozens of times before I become aware of them (because they’ll be behind trees, or just over a rise or whatever). This one is actually less than 10 miles from where I live. 🙂

A few weeks ago someone complained about an “illegal scrappy” and it turned out the guy was actually a collector of old heavy machinery from the Clyde and Aberdeen shipyards – he also had a steam road-roller rusting away in his garage. Farm inspections also turn up all manner of oddities squirelled away in barns -countless vintage cars for a start. Last week I found three old Bond Minicars in a field. Great fun.