The Royal Navy's largest and most powerful warship ever built has been pictured in a Scottish loch after refuelling and rearming before heading off to "protect UK waters."
The 280m-long ship, carrying helicopters and drones, left Portsmouth earlier this month to begin training in home waters before loading up with weapons in Scotland, according to reports.
The aircraft carrier is seen in pictures a few miles away at the junction of Loch Long and Loch Goil, with the village of Cuilmuich in the background.
The Royal Navy flagship and its crew of more than 900 sailed from the Hampshire naval base. The warship will deploy to the High North and North Atlantic later this year and take part in operations under NATO’s Arctic Sentry mission – the alliance’s initiative to improve security in the region.
HMS Prince of Wales (R09) aircraft carrier was spotted on Loch Long in the Scottish Highlands, as it leaves Glenmallan dock, where it is thought to have been re-armed and refuelled before heading out for Operation Firecrest today, May 5, 2026.
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Operation Firecrest will see Britain send its Carrier Strike Group back to sea, where the UK and US will work side by side on Euro-Atlantic security around the North American East Coast, HMS Prince of Wales will lead the force.
Officials said the operation is designed to deter Russian aggression, protect critical undersea infrastructure and demonstrate the UK's ability to project force at scale within a NATO framework.
Speaking at the time Operation Firecrest was announced, Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: "I’m proud that we’re stepping up UK leadership on High North and Atlantic security.
"This deployment will help make Britain warfighting ready, boost our contribution to NATO, and strengthen our operations with key allies, keeping the UK secure at home and strong abroad."
The Loch is close to Faslane naval base, where the British nuclear deterrent is kept.
HMS Prince of Wales (R09) is the second Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier and the Fleet Flagship of the Royal Navy, designed to operate V/STOL aircraft, particularly F-35B Lightning II fighters, and is one of the largest and most powerful warships ever built for the Royal Navy.
“The High North continues to be a critical area of interest to the Royal Navy with regular deployments to the Arctic Circle and surrounding areas – working alongside allies and partners,” the Royal Navy said in a statement last month.
“It comes as the Royal Navy and the wider UK armed forces continue to be ready to protect UK waters and wider interests from a variety of potential threats.”
HMS Prince of Wales had been in Portsmouth Naval Base since the end of November, when it completed an eight-month mission to the western Indo-Pacific region.
Last month, HMS Queen Elizabeth was seen sailing under the Forth Bridge as it set sail for sea trials.
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