| Gordon Douglas has spent months researching the story of the Mars Training Ship, a fixture on the River Tay from the mid-19th into the 20th century.
During its 60 years in operation, more than 6500 homeless and destitute boys from all across Scotland were sent to the ship to learn new skills.
Mr Douglas said the Mars had become synonymous with ‘bad boys’ but the ship had actually helped thousands of youngsters escape grim circumstances that were not of their own making.
He said, “I didn’t set out to write a book about it but what fascinated me about the whole thing was the fact the Mars was always seen as a ship for bad boys.
“When it was set up it was actually for homeless and destitute boys to try to get them off the street.
“The bizarre thing about it is was there were more boys on the Mars from Edinburgh than Dundee, and half the total came from Glasgow.”
Mr Douglas is due to launch his book — We’ll Send Ye Tae the Mars — at Waterstones, Dundee, on November 13.
He is already working on a sequel called Sons of the Mars following the stories of the boys who spent time aboard the ship. |
