We are deeply saddened to share the news of the death of our former Chair, Dr Christopher
Mason, in Lanzarote. The Tall Ship Glenlee Trust, along with our staff and volunteers, mourn
his passing.
Dr Mason worked tirelessly from 1991 until his retirement in 2012 to secure the restoration
and future of Glenlee. During that time, he witnessed the remarkable transformation of the
ship, brought back from Spain as a tired hulk, into the iconic landmark that today stands
proudly in front of the Riverside Museum.
Drawing on his experience as an academic lecturing in Economic History at the University of
Glasgow, his secondment to the Civil Service, and his thirty years as an elected
representative, first for Strathclyde Region and later as a Glasgow City Councillor for the
Liberal Party, he brought knowledge, imagination, and determination to his leadership of the
Clyde Maritime Trust Ltd. (now the Tall Ship Glenlee Trust Ltd.).
His vision and drive inspired others to join a long-term plan of restoration for this rare 19th-
century sailing cargo vessel, one of only five of its kind left in the world.
When Dr Mason retired in 2012, sailing westwards in his own yacht from Glenlee, many
were saddened to see him go but grateful for the dedication and care he had given both to the
ship and to the people involved in her story.
Beyond his work with Glenlee, Christopher Mason was noted for his commitment to
supporting people with autism, and in 2012, he was nominated as Glasgow’s Independent
Carer’s Champion. That same year, he was awarded the MBE in the Queen’s Birthday
Honours List for services to the tourism industry in Scotland, recognising his leadership as
Chairman of the Clyde Maritime Trust.
He also authored Five Thousand Days: The Voyages of the Clydebuilt Barque Glenlee
(Renamed Islamount 1899) under the Red Ensign 1897–1919, a comprehensive account of
the ship’s twenty-three years as a British trading vessel.