RESTORATION work on the Dumbarton-built turbine steamship the TS Queen Mary is set to take a giant step further this week- after a deal was struck to help repaint the vessel.

The Queen, which is one of Scotland’s most famous turbine steamships, has been dry-docked for the first time since 1997.

It was rescued by the charity Friends of TS Queen Mary, which was was set up to rescue, restore and reopen the famous Clyde-built vessel.

It is now dry-docked in Greenock.

And in a further boost to the charity’s £2m fundraising efforts, global brand AkzoNobel, the leading paints and coatings company behind the household Dulux brand, and Jotun, experts in paints and coatings developed for unique conditions, have come together to donate specialist paints and coatings for the Queen- in a deal worth tens of thousands of pounds.

Jim McKinlay, Strategic Account Manager, AkzoNobel Marine Coatings (International Paint Ltd.), UK said: "We are proud to support the charity behind the restoration of this iconic Scottish vessel.

"We have a long-standing commitment to supporting community projects like this as a part of our Human Cities initiative.

"By providing sustainable, high-performance International coatings, we are sure the Queen Mary can continue to be enjoyed and admired, in all her glory, for many more years to come."

Evan McGrath, from Jotun, said: "Jotun has a long history of developing and manufacturing high quality and environmentally compliant products and services.

"Supporting the restoration of this famous turbine steamship is a fantastic opportunity for us and we are only too pleased to help."

The ship entered dry-dock in Greenock last week and will now undergo a full inspection before her hull is stripped down and repainted.

The dry-docking was made possible thanks to a combined grant of £150,000 from the Landfill Communities Fund by EB Scotland and Clydesdale Bank PLC.

Charity Trustee Iain Sim said: "The paint on any ship serves more than just a cosmetic purpose.

"It is essential in order to protect the vessel from saltwater and the fair weather Scotland is known for all-year-round.

"That’s why it’s fantastic to have such well-respected global brands supporting our efforts in this way.

"AkzoNobel and Jotun bring with them centuries of expertise, giving us absolute confidence the meticulous and delicate job of repainting the Queen Mary will be handled with the utmost care and attention."

A £2 million fundraising campaign to restore the famous Clyde steamship was launched in June by the charity’s patron, Scots actor Robbie Coltrane OBE.

It came after a successful bid to purchase the vessel and tow her 700 nautical miles back to Greenock from a dockyard outside London.

The charity plans to restore the steamer as an interactive exhibition and an arts and culture venue.

For more information and to donate to the charity’s campaign, search for Friends of TS Queen Mary.

TS Queen Mary is a two-funnel Clyde steamer launched in 1933.

She was built at the William Denny shipyard at Dumbarton for Williamson-Buchanan Steamers.