HMS Astute was grounded on a shingle bank for 10 hours A nuclear-powered submarine which spent 10 hours grounded on a shingle bank off the isle of Skye is to be assessed to see if its rudder was damaged.
HMS Astute was towed free by a tug on Friday evening and taken to deep water where a survey will be carried out.
Engineers will determine whether the £1bn submarine can return to its base at Faslane on the Clyde under its own power or if it requires assistance.
The boat was out on sea trials when it became stuck close to the Skye Bridge.
HMS Astute, which was built by BAE Systems in Barrow in Furness, Cumbria, was not expected to enter service until next year.
It weighs 7,800 tonnes, equivalent to nearly 1,000 double-decker buses, and is almost 100 metres (328ft) long.
Its Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles are capable of delivering pinpoint strikes from 2,000km (1,240 miles) with conventional weapons.
The submarine’s nuclear reactor means that it will not need refuelling once in its entire 25-year life and it makes its own air and water, enabling it to circumnavigate the globe without needing to surface.
It is thought its rudder become stuck on a shingle bank at about 0800 BST on Friday.
There were no reports of any injuries and the Ministry of Defence said it was not a “nuclear incident”.
The vessel was towed free at high tide, at about 1800 BST.
John Ainslie, co-ordinator of Scottish CND, said: “This is just the latest in a long line of incidents involving nuclear submarines off the west coast of Scotland.
“Inquiries into previous incidents have shown an appalling lack of common sense and basic navigation skills on these hi-tech submarines.”
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