It wasn’t so long ago when pictures of the iconic QE2 languishing neglected in Dubai prompted some organisations to look at bringing her home to her birthplace on the Clyde, just outside of Glasgow for restoration. However it appears campaigners for her return have finally conceded this simply may not be possible.

The Scottish government was working with Glasgow councils to repatriate the historic liner after it was said to be lying in a “filthy, forlorn and neglected” state in a dock in the Middle East country, having been sold to the UAE government conglomerate Dubai World for £64million in 2008.

But the Queen Elizabeth 2, which was built in the 1960s in Clydebank, now looks set to remain in Mina Rashid, Dubai.

“It is becoming clear that bringing the QE2 back to Scotland, which was always an ambitious proposition, is highly unlikely to happen,” said Aubrey Fawcett, chair of the working group and chief executive of urban regeneration company Riverside Inverclyde.

The future of the ship has been unclear for years, with virtually no plans announced from Dubai. However, after rumours last year that the QE2 was destined to be scrapped, chairman of DP World, part of Dubai World, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, revealed to a cruise website in November that such rumours were “absolutely untrue” and that a “new plan” was in place.

He said “There is a new plan for QE2, I cannot say what it is yet, but I can tell you that these reports that she is to be scrapped are absolutely untrue” Having said that there is no reference to the QE2 on the websites of DP World, Drydocks World or Dubai World – odd don’t you think?

It does make you wonder what on earth will become of her, there seems to be no logic in letting her rot in Dubai yet with no official plans released from DP World it would appear that this will be the case.

The future of the historic vessel has had links with a number of cities in the UK, including Southampton, Liverpool and Glasgow but while there seems to be a lot of ‘good intention’ towards our iconic queen it seems all parties involved are unable to actually do anything about her current situation.

Crying shame if you ask me.

What do you think, a piece of our maritime history worth preserving?

Let me know your thoughts.

Bye for now.