Motor Yachts on the Clyde

on Jan 10, 2015

In the 1860s, a boat yard was built at the mouth of the burn at Rosneath on the Gareloch by Archibald McKellar. In May 1909, the yard was purchased by James Silver, a local man who had served his apprenticeship in the yard, and a yacht designer, John McCallum, and they set about building yachts of high quality. The business failed in 1914 and was taken over by Ferguson and Thompson, Ltd., of Glasgow who retained James Silver as manager and continued the business under the name of James A. Silver, Ltd. A new designer, John Bain, arrived at the yard and became the yard manager when James Silver left in 1916. The firm developed a reputation for the production of high quality motor yachts at Rosneath in the 1920s and 1930s. Their designs and their methods are well documented in the publication “Motor Yacht Building” by John Bain that was published in the late 1930s. The firm closed its...

Caledonia on the Holy Loch Run

on Jan 6, 2015

In the aftermath of the First World War, the Caledonian Steam Packet Company’s Caledonia resumed the role she had had since 1909 as the Holy Loch steamer for the pooled sailings for the Caledonian and G&SW fleet. From the time of her re-entry into service in November 1920 and on into LMS days following amalgamation on January 1, 1923, she was on this service summer and winter except for her annual overhaul when generally Marchioness of Breadalbane was her deputy. Caledonia at Princes Pier before 1923 Caledonia was the first of the ferry-class paddle steamers built for the Caledonian Steam Packet Company in 1889 and at just over thirty years old she was still a useful member of the fleet and well suited to the Holy Loch run where maneuverability at the piers was more important than speed. Caledonia around 1921 with her fore windows boarded for the winter (Robertson) The...

The Siege of Millport

on Jan 6, 2015

In June, 1906, the Clyde steamer ferry services to Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae were shared between the Glasgow and South Western Railway, operating out of Fairlie Pier and the Caledonian Steam Packet Company, operating out of Wemyss Bay.  The Caledonian connected with Largs, Keppel, Millport and some services went on to Kilchattan Bay and Rothesay on Bute.  The Fairlie connection from the Glasgow and South Western was similar providing the shortest ferry crossing but also with connections to the Bute Piers.  The Piers at Keppel and Millport had recently been purchased by the Millport Town Council and a considerable improvement made at Millport.  As a consequence, the Town Council increased the annual payments to be made by the steamer companies.  The steamer companies’ responses were predictable and the resulting stand-off that took place at the end of June and the beginning...

One Man’s Vision of Dunoon—Edward McGeachie

on Dec 28, 2014

From the 1900s to the early 1930s a photographer, Edward McGeachie, opened for business in Pier Road, Dunoon, N.B., and among his subjects were the steamers frequenting the Cowal coast. McGeachie’s studio was located on the Pier Esplanade and many local families used him for portraits. He also did commercial work with publicity materials for local hotels and produced a number of fine postcards of Dunoon and its immediate surroundings. He was particularly adept in selecting excellent compositions and his negatives were used extensively by other postcard manufacturers.   Dunoon Pier around 1927 with Kenilworth and Kylemore  Edward was born in Newton, Ayr in 1877 where his father, Peter, was manager of the Ayr Chemical Works. His mother Betsy (Galloway) came from Limekilns in Fife. Edward was educated at Newton Academy where he won the due medal for Mathematics and French. By 1901, he had...

Paisley Steamers

on Dec 24, 2014

On June 27, 1816, there was a notice in the Glasgow papers:— “We understand the Prince of Orange steamboat arrived at the quay of Paisley upon the evening of Tuesday last, and sailed next morning with passengers for Greenock and Gourock. This having been the first steamboat that had sailed up the Cart, a vast crowd assembled to witness her arrival at Paisley.” Steamboat sailings from Paisley are occasionally documented through the following years but it was in the 1830s that a regular service was introduced, leading to the first serious attempt to improve the Cart for navigation. David Napier brought out the little wooden paddle steamer Cupid in 1828. Her hull was constructed by John Wood’s yard and the 10 h.p. engine was built by Napier himself. Initially Cupid was placed on the Glasgow to Greenock and Kilmun station. However, at that time, railways were beginning to compete with the...

Laing’s Dunoon—1868

on Dec 13, 2014

In the mid-Victorian era, Thomas Laing ran a photographic studio at Dunoon midway between the Pier and the Argyll Hotel.  In addition to the usual personal and family portraits he took photographs of the town and its surrounding area.  A number of these photographic views were turned into engravings and published in Colegate’s Guide to Dunoon in 1868, helping to provide an approximate date for the material.  John Colegate was a bookseller and ran a library in Hafton Place.  Excerpts of his guide are included here to provide a context for the photographs. Laing’s Photographic Studio in the shadow of the Parish Church Advert for Laing’s in 1868 In 1868, Dunoon was well equipped for visitors who were interested in sea bathing.  The list of Hotels is:—The Argyll (the principal hotel),—Mrs. Thomson, The Crown,—Mrs. Walker, The Douglas,—Mrs. Douglas, Clark’s Temperance,—Mr. John...