The SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Greens want Trident to be scrapped
The loch at Faslane is very calm on a beautiful spring-like day, seagulls wheel above the jetty and its short, white radar tower. Beneath the still waters, I presume, lurks some of Britain's ageing nuclear deterrent.
The future of Trident may not be much of an issue in the election, but it will be one of the most important, and expensive, decisions the new government makes.
And it could be a vital issue in any negotiations if there is a hung Parliament.
There are four submarines based at Faslane in Dunbartonshire:
- Vanguard
- Victorious
- Vigilant
- Vengeance
One is always armed with nuclear weapons and is at sea on patrol. That is the "continuous-at-sea deterrent", called Operation Relentless.
To me, their names give the game away - the debate about the future of the UK's nuclear weapons isn't just about cost - even though billions are at stake - but posture, pride, and our place in the world.
Few expect the SNP and Labour to rush into each other's arms ahead of the election. But Trident would be a serious stumbling block in the path of any deal in a hung Parliament.
With constant Nato warnings about a more assertive Russia, the argument could well be between those who say this proves the need for Cold War-style weapons and those who worry this would be at the cost of conventional weaponry that is much more likely to be needed.
And it is a more profound question than many that will be thoroughly aired in the election campaign.