Large cargo ship hits rocks and runs aground in Scotland

A large cargo ship has run aground near Ardnamurchan Point in the West Highlands.

The 120-metre-long Lysblink Seaways ship got into difficulty at around 1.50am on Wednesday near Kilchoan.

None of the nine crew members were injured, and an operation is underway to contain any risk of pollution.

A spokesman for the RNLI told Sky News: "Tobermory RNLI's volunteer crew launched the Severn class lifeboat, Elizabeth Fairlie Ramsey, shortly after 3am to go to the aid of the vessel which was hard aground on rocks close to the ferry slipway.

"On arriving at the scene, the lifeboat crew established that whilst the vessel had sustained damage and was taking on some water, it was not in imminent danger of sinking. There are no reports of any injuries to the crew."

The ship was on its way to Norway from Belfast and is thought be carrying paper.

It did not refloat at high tide at 4.35am, and the BBC reports that coastguards believe it could be stuck there for some time.

The news site adds that The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has tasked emergency towing vessel Heracles to attend the scene from the Orkney area, while the vessel's owners have appointed a salvage company and a commercial tug.

Speaking to the Aberdeen Press and Journal, a coastguard spokeswoman said: "It is a cargo vessel gone aground at Ardnamurchan Point. It is a cargo vessel carrying paper, nine people are on-board.

"There's a tug coming down from Shetland. There doesn't seem to be any pollution. It is just a waiting game to see if they re-float."