Three turbine steamers

on Aug 18, 2022

Another day on Bute, this time featuring three turbine steamers photographed on colour transparency film. I don’t know whether this was 1951 or perhaps 1952, but the photographs feature the Clyde in the early post World War II days of British Railways and David MacBrayne steamers, before motor vessels began to displace them. The first picture is the turbine steamer, the Marchioness of Graham, one of the three turbine steamers photographed that day. She looks well as she approaches Rothesay, perhaps on an excursion from Ayr. Marchioness of Graham The sequence continues on the way from Rothesay, showing yachts anchored in Port Bannatyne Bay. A peaceful scene The destination, Rhubodach, in reached with a view of a yacht sailing down the Kyles in light winds. Sailing in the Kyles The Rhubodach-Colintravie ferry, is on the Bute shore loading a Meikle and M‘Kellar removal van and a car....

Colintraive

on Jan 20, 2018

The origins of the ferry at Colintraive are obscure but pre-date the introduction of steam on the Clyde. The early steamboat guidebooks refer to the ferry in the Kyles of Bute. “From Rothesay the channel, for some miles, takes a north-westerly course, leaving the Clyde, and taking the name of the Kyles of Bute, which encircles half the island. In sailing through this channel, several agreeable prospects are met with. A few miles farther on to the right is the opening of Loch Striven; and near it the house of Southall, Campbell; about 8 miles from it is a ferry called Collintray; close to it are some rocky islands, and the mouth of Loch Ridden, where is Red Island, on which are the ruins of a castle of that name, used as a garrison, in 1685, in favour of Monmouth.”—The Steamboat Companion, James Lumsden & Sons, Glasgow, 1820. The construction of the road down Glendaruel in the early...

The Latter Years of Iona

on Jun 13, 2017

In the previous article on MacBrayne’s Iona from May 31, 2017, the story left off when Iona had been displaced from the Ardrishaig mail service by Columba and sent to work out of Oban to serve the anticipated increase in traffic when the railway reached the town in 1880. The arrival of the Grenadier allowed Iona to return to the Clyde in 1886 where she provided a second service on the Ardrishaig mail run. Based overnight at Ardrishaig, she sailed for Greenock and the Broomielaw at 5:45 in the morning, making the usual calls at Tarbert, Tighnabruich, Colintraive, Rothesay, Innellan, Dunoon, and Greenock. She made her run from the Broomielaw, leaving at 1:30, and returning to Ardrishaig by the same route. Iona canting at the Broomielaw with Daniel Adamson and Benmore (Annan) Iona and Strathmore at the Broomielaw awaiting the 1:30 departure Iona and Strathmore at the Broomielaw...