Ardnadam Pier

on Jun 6, 2019

The pier at Ardnadam, at 200 feet, the longest in the upper Firth, was built in 1858 to facilitate feuing at the head of the Holy Loch and along its southern fringe at Sandbank. The water at the head of the loch is quite shallow and the length of the pier was dictated to achieve sufficient depth of water at all states of the tide. Glasgow Herald, April 5, 1858 “Extension of feuing at the coast.—Notwithstanding the mercantile depression, feuing and house building seem to be going on briskly at several of the watering places on the Clyde. The new pier erected at Ardnadam, Holy Loch, has led to some feus being taken off in its neighbourhood, and in a brief period there will, no doubt, be a continuous line of villas from Sandbank to the Lazaretto Point. At Hunter’s Quay a new terrace above the road has been laid off this year, and there are at present eight pretty cottages in various...

Southbank Grouping and Tartan Lums

on May 21, 2017

The Caledonian Steam Packet Co. Ltd. had all of its steamships called up for duty in World War I and had to rely on chartered vessels for much of the emergency. As with the other companies that had steamers serving, most of those that had survived the dangerous war time duties returned in dribs and drabs during 1919. Two of the steamers, Duchess of Hamilton and Duchess of Montrose, had been lost while minesweeping during the war. At the beginning of April, Duchess of Fife returned to the Clyde, followed a few days later by Caledonia, damaged badly in a collision with a freighter on the Seine. In the last week of the month, Duchess of Rothesay arrived and a few days later, the turbine Duchess of Argyll, while Marchioness of Breadalbane appeared on the first of May. The remaining unit of the fleet, Marchioness of Lorne, did not return until 1921 and was laid up in Bowling Harbour for a...

Marchioness of Lorne 1935

on Apr 20, 2016

As a replacement for the Marchioness of Breadalbane in 1935, the Caledonian Steam Packet Co. went to Fairfields for a smaller version of the paddlers Caledonia and Mercury built the previous year. She was well photographed by the Messrs Adamson and Robertson during her trials when sporting the Fairfield flag. Marchioness of Lorne on trials (Adamson) Marchioness of Lorne on trials (Robertson) Marchioness of Lorne was designed for the Holy Loch ferry route where the ability to maneuver at the many piers is more important than speed. The new steamer was capable of just 12 knots in service, requiring some adjustments to the time table. Despite some misgivings, the improved accommodation, meant that the new steamer became a strong favourite with the Holy Loch regulars Marchioness of Lorne (Feilden) Marchioness of Lorne in 1936 Marchioness of Lorne’s summer schedule was demanding,...