ACTOR Robbie Coltrane OBE has launched a £2 million fundraising campaign to restore the world-famous TS Queen Mary, which was built in Dumbarton.

The last remaining Clyde-built turbine steamship was withdrawn from service in 1977 and had languished in a dockyard near London for seven years. It was finally bought and towed over 700 nautical miles to Greenock last month by charity Friends of TS Queen Mary.

The charity raised more than a quarter of a million pounds in less than a year to bring the ship home to Scotland and now want to restore the vessel and open her to the public once again.

Robbie Coltrane said: “She will be a wonderful addition to Scotland. We’re certainly not going to let her sit there like an ornament, that’s why we’re determined to raise enough money to restore her.

“When you see her polished up, you will be staggered with how beautiful she looks. I know £2 million is an awful lot of money but then we’ll have a wonderful asset for Glasgow and for the whole of Scotland.”

The charity plans to restore the steamer as an interactive exhibition and an arts and culture venue. She will host school children on educational visits as well as drawing crowds for festivals and events which draw upon the talents of Scotland’s creative industries.

Mr Coltrane added: “You might even be able to get married on her, can you imagine that!”

Iain Sim, charity trustee, said: “We want to restore the TS Queen Mary using the Clyde’s shipbuilding expertise and, crucially, apprentices who will help to continue Scotland’s maritime legacy.

“It’s a tremendous amount of money to raise, but we’re more determined than ever. Since returning the Queen Mary to Scotland last month, support for the charity has grown and grown. We’ve given people a real glimpse of what’s possible, and the reaction to her return says it all. We can do this.”

The vessel’s return to Scotland attracted crowds along the Clyde coast last month as well as a flotilla of leisure boats following in her wake.

News of the event travelled far and wide with people, including television presenter Fern Britton, sharing photos and videos on social media as the vessel made its way into Greenock.

To donate and learn more about the charity’s plans, visit tsqueenmary.org.uk or follow the charity on Facebook and Twitter.