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The history of Scott's Shipbuilding & Engineering is a fascinating one. In fact, whilst it is often associated with Greenock & Port Glasgow, it was a global concern with shipbuilding and engineering interests as far afield as Hong Kong & Japan and its previous parent company, John Swire & Sons, still survives today as an Asian-based conglomerate focused on diverse interests from Shipping, Property Development, Oil & Gas Exploration to Soft Drinks. The death-knell for Scotts and its successor, Scott-Lithgow was nationalisation and being absorbed into British Shipbuilders in 1977. When the shipyards on the Upper Clyde ran into financial difficulties in the late 1960s/early 1970s, the Inverclyde shipyards were doing well and were building massive oil tankers. Sir William Lithgow challenged the nationalisation of Scott-Lithgow and the case makes for very interesting reading.

Cheers. An interesting website which I often read is https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/ which gives the history of many of Britain's industrial companies. I didn't know who Hugo Swire was until you mentioned this and Googled him, but yes, he is from that same family. Its also funny that you mention 'School Chums' because during the lockdown I read a book from Alexander Stephen who mentioned that his family owned shipyard in Linthouse, Govan was always at a distinct disadvantage when tendering for Naval contracts against the likes of Scott's as a result of the old school ties with the Royal Navy top brass.