A DECADES-long search for a Royal 17th-century ship that sank in the Forth carrying treasure worth "hundreds of millions", may be over.
The Blessing of Burntisland was a wooden ferry which was on its coronation tour of Charles I in July 1633 before it tragically sank in a violent storm.
Over the last 30 years, Ian Archibald, convenor of Burntisland Heritage SCIO (BH) has directed a team of volunteers in the search for the ship.
But due to the depth of the wreck, the shifting silts of the Forth and the lack of visibility, searching for it has been difficult until recent times. But now, according to a report titled Burntisland Blessing Report, the wreck may have been found, just one mile from the town.
The report reads: "During the coronation tour of Charles 1 in July 1633, The Blessing, a baggage ferry enroute from Burntisland to Leith, sank in unexpectedly rough waters.
"Sadly, only two of the 35 passengers and crew survived. The Royal cargo was reported to have been worth £100,000 at the time, a sum equivalent to several hundreds of millions today.
"The Blessing was a timber-built baggage ferry believed to have been carrying much of the royal wealth of King Charles I.
"A 30-year search for the vessel (the Charles Wrex Project) has now located what is believed to be the wreck of the Blessing, and work to retrieve items from the wreck is imminent."
It's believed that there were valuable assets on board, including a gold and silver dinner service commissioned by Henry VIII.
Continuing, the report detailed how the shipwreck had been located.
It described the "application of subsea ground-penetrating radar, together with advanced scanning techniques, physical exploration of the site and the retrieval of a timber".
"Core samples now strongly point to the wreck being that of the Blessing."
The find has been reported to the UK Government's Receiver of Wreck team, who will investigate the ownership of the wreck's material and work with archaeologists and museums.
While previous diving restrictions prevented a thorough underwater investigation, these have now been lifted, meaning further exploration can now be carried out.
Officially, the wreck is the property of the Crown; however, it is understood that once it has been recovered, Burntisland Heritage would be "Salvor in Possession", meaning they could protect it into the future.
In a bid to preserve its history, representatives from Burntisland Harbour Access Trust (BHAT) and BH met with senior officials from Fife Council, Crown Estate Scotland and the Scottish Government.
In the meetings, the idea was floated for a new museum and visitor centre as part of a larger Burntisland development "masterplan".
The proposed museum would tell the story of Blessing and the wider Burntisland area, and display salvaged items from the wreck, at an estimated cost of £88,470.
Instead of being located in an existing building, the discussions brought up the potential for a new state-of-the-art facility to be constructed.
Whilst the location has not been specifically pinpointed, Burntisland Parish Church, which is due to go on sale by the end of 2027, was suggested as an option.
Regarding the future of the development, the report said it would be "dependent on the success of the ongoing exploration of the Blessing dive site" and the hopeful recovery of the once-great vessel.
