The Varyag monument is located close to where the Russian cruiser sank in 1920. The warship became a national symbol of defiance and valour at the outbreak of the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese War when she engaged a squadron of Japanese warships despite being heavily out numbered and out gunned. After sustaining too much damage to continue the battle she was scuttled by her crew who returned home to a heroes’ welcome.

The ship was salvaged by the Japanese and later sold back to Russia but would never return. At the time of the 1917 October Revolution she was in a British port and largely forgotten about. Varyag sank during a storm off the Ayrshire coast en route to Germany for scrapping.