The ship was built in 1928 by Cochrane & Sons of Selby, Yorkshire, as a steam fishing trawler and registered at Glasgow as F/V Glen Strathallan (GW.15). Unfortunately, the company that ordered her went bankrupt before she was completed, so she was bought by Robert Alfred Colby Cubbin,[1] who spent £30,000[2] converting her into a yacht under the same name, registered at Douglas, Isle of Man.[1]
On the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, Glen Strathallan was requisitioned by the Royal Navy. As the Armed Yacht HMS Glen Strathallan (FY–010) she served as an anti-submarine vessel until late 1945.[3]
Returned to Colby Cubbin, she was used for cruises between the Isle of Man and Scotland until his death in 1955. Under the terms of his will she then served as the training ship T/S Glen Strathallan[1] at King Edward VII Nautical College,[4] training future officers of the Merchant Navy until 1970.
The elderly ship had her main engine removed (it was acquired by the Science museum and was on display at the Science Museum in London from 1978 until 2004. It now resides in the museum's storage facility) and she was scuttled about 200 yards from the Shagstone on 27 April 1970. Intended to be used as a diver training site, she was sunk in shallow water, but soon found to be obstructing the entrance to the port and was dispersed using explosives.[1] The remains currently sit in 15m (49feet) of water south of the Plymouth breakwater at 50.3154°N -11.529°W. The wreck is considerably broken up, but the boilers remain and are currently home to a number of conger eels.