Kilchattan Bay

on Oct 11, 2024

The village of Kilchattan Bay on the south-east corner of Bute has long enjoyed a sheltered spot, in the lee of the Suidhe hill, protecting it from the prevailing westerly winds. The Bay itself was a place of respite for fishing boats and sailing craft in storms. With Cumbrae across the water to the east, ferry crossings to the mainland to Bute were established north of the bay but the surrounding farmlands of Kingarth for many years provided cargoes of produce, including the early potato crop shipped from the old stone quay that was constructed in 1822. Smacks at the old quay at Kilchattan Bay (Stengel) Kilchattan Bay in the shelter of the Suidhe (Valentine) It seems likely that in the early days of steamboats on the Firth, that the Castle steamers on their sailings from Glasgow or Rothesay to the east Arran ports would make occasional, unadvertised calls at Kilchattan Bay to drop off...

Craigmore

on Sep 9, 2024

This article centers on Craigmore, to the east of Rothesay on the Island of Bute, and the eastern coast of the island. For just over 60 years, Craigmore had an iron pier, much like the original pier that was erected at Brodick on Arran, and particular events associated with the pier are highlighted. The feuing of Burgh lands in the 1850s and 60s extended the town of Rothesay to the west and especially to the east round Bogany Point, with the construction of terraces and villas for the more affluent class of society. Craigmore was an attractive setting with fine views of the Firth and Rothesay Bay. The first serious proposal to construct a pier at Craigmore occurred in 1875 when a number of gentlemen contacted the Rothesay Harbour Trust, who controlled the foreshore around as far as Ascog. They sought the permission of the Harbour Trust to develop a proposal for a pier at Craigmore and...

On Rothesay Pier

on Aug 1, 2024

In the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, the sea-front at Rothesay presented an imposing vista, with the pier, the well laid-out promenade, and the handsome row of hotels. Visitors had a wide range of accommodation; from rented villas, to the hotels and the numerous boarding houses around the bay, to cheaper rented flats and rented rooms in the town. A previous post looked at the development of Rothesay Harbour and the ways of dating photographs of the town. This, and the following short articles will view the town, mainly from the point of view of the visitor. I recall reading in Cameron Sommerville’s marvelous little book, “Colour on the Clyde,” the description of the visitor’s day, from the point of view of the heyday steamers in the late Victorian and Edwardian years. The early morning steamers were mainly those leaving for the railway piers, with those with business on the...

Rothesay Harbour

on Jul 1, 2024

When steamboats first plied on the Clyde, Rothesay was a small town known for its mild climate and safe anchorage, the quality of its kippers, and its cotton spinning mill. Rothesay quay, and the modest harbour was not quite adequate to handle steamboats. The funding for repairs was raised by public subscription, half of which came from the Marquess of Bute, and a loan from the Government Commission. Planning began in 1822 and by the following year, construction was underway to provide the basic form of the harbour that exists today. By 1824, the stonework was largely completed, and a slip to allow cattle and carriages to be handled at the right angle of the new pier. The Town Council had no legal authority to impose charges for the use of the pier, and in 1831, a Harbour Trust was authorized by Parliament with revenue raising powers. About this time, a drawbridge between the old or...

Glimpses of Dumbarton

on Jun 1, 2024

The county town of Dumbarton has a long history dating back to the earliest inhabitants of Scotland. With its tall rocky volcanic plug rising at the mouth of the River Leven where it enters the Clyde, the town was a natural defensive point, leading to its name, “Fort of the Britons.” The town was made a Royal Burgh in 1222. Dumbarton became the earliest bridging point of the River Leven, a project that was first proposed in 1682 and completed in 1765, more than 80 years later. The early town itself stretched along the High Street that followed the west bank of the Leven to the Bridge; to the north was land that flooded at high tide, and to the south, approaching the Castle Rock, the ground was marshy and also susceptible to flooding. This article is based on a random collection of prints and postcards I have amassed over the years. There is no theme, and there is no pretense to be a...

Clyde River Piers

on Apr 1, 2024

Lord of the Isles heading up the River Clyde with Dumbarton Rock in the distance With the exception of the Broomielaw and Bridge Wharf, photographs of pleasure steamers at the piers on the River Clyde are quite rare. In latter years, the usual stopping places were the piers at Partick, Govan, Renfrew, Bowling, and, for a brief period, Dumbarton. This article provides some background on the piers and the photographs I have of them. In the early years of steamboat traffic on the river, a journey might begin at a ferry point where the passengers would be rowed out to the passing steamboat by the ferryman. Common points on the river where there were ferries were at Govan; at the mouth of the Kelvin; at the “Water Neb,” the mouth of the Cart at Renfrew; at Dunglass point; and at the West Ferry crossing to Dumbarton. Boarding or disembarking a steamboat from or onto an open rowing ferry-boat...