CEREMONIES have been held to mark the centenary of the sinking of the Clyde-built liner RMS Lusitania.

Pupils from Clydebank High school laid a wreath at Queen's Quay on the bank of the Clyde where the Cunard ship was launched in 1906.

The liner was torpedoed by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915 en route from New York to Liverpool and sank with the loss of 1,201 lives, including three unidentified stowaways.

The anniversary is also being marked with a white rose, plaque and the names of the hundreds of souls who perished due to be placed on the wreck.

A minute's silence will be held at a special service at Old Head overlooking the wreck site, while a plaque will also be unveiled and wreaths laid at the memorial.

Gregg Bemis, the 87-year-old US entrepreneur who owns the liner 11 miles off the Irish coast, created his own heartfelt tribute rather than attend official commemorations.

The mementos were placed on the boat 300ft below the surface, off the Old Head of Kinsale, at 2.15pm, the exact time the torpedo consigned the liner to its watery grave.

"It will be a permanent recognition of our feelings about the importance of the wreck - and to pay homage to the victims," Mr Bemis said.

Diver Eoin McGarry, who has been on the wreck more than anyone, will descend to the frigid Atlantic seabed to leave the tribute.

"They say no flowers can be laid on a sailor's grave but in this instance we are going to lay a flower on it," he said.

The Lusitania sank 18 minutes after being struck - compared to two hours and 40 minutes for the Titanic - sparking theories over a second blast caused by a secret cargo of high explosives destined for the British war effort.

There is also a theory that the captain ordered full steam ahead after the torpedo hit near the ship's bow, forcing water into the vessel at a dramatic rate.

On the eve of the anniversary the Government released state-of-the-art sonar imagery of the liner as it lies on its starboard side.

Officials said the detail was key to protecting the site, adding: "One hundred years on, the Lusitania is beginning to reveal its wounds, scars and perhaps its secrets, and may continue to do so for many years to come."

The plaque, flower and list of names will rest near the ship's bridge between two bollards.