Clynder Pier

on Sep 14, 2020

Until the middle of the nineteenth century, the villages on the western shore of the Gareloch were poorly served with piers to connect with the frequent steamboat services from Glasgow and Greenock. The sometimes difficult means of boarding was by ferry boat and there were ferries at Rahane, Crossowen and at Roseneath. It was in 1845 that a pier opened at Roseneath, just south of the narrows that mark the boundary of the Gareloch proper. The good folk of the village of Clynder had either to walk to Roseneath or use the ferry at Crossowen, north of the village, where the ferryman was James Campbell, . Archibald Chalmers was born on March 22, 1836, the son of James Chalmers and Sarah M‘Cunn who lived, along with other members of the Chalmers family at Little Rahean. He was baptized on May 5 of the same year. James farmed Little Rahean with his older brother Robert who also had a son,...

Arrochar Pier

on Aug 1, 2020

The Royal visit to Arrochar in 1849 appears to have been the trigger that persuaded the local landowner, Sir James Colquhoun, that the time was right to erect a pier. There had been a jetty before, to facilitate visitors from the steamers getting in and out of the small boats that conveyed them between ship and shore. Sir James had endeavoured to extend this to facilitate the Royal visitors but it had been incomplete. Perhaps there was sufficient additional lumber to convert the jetty into a pier suitable to berth a steamer, or perhaps Sir James wanted to be prepared for a future visit by Royalty. A pier had been erected at Tarbet on Loch Lomond in 1846. Nevertheless, the pier at Arrochar was ready for the 1850 season to hansel in a new “Royal Route.” Sir James was not the only one inspired by the Royal visit. At the Dumbarton yard of Messrs William Denny & Brothers, progress was...

Portincaple

on May 26, 2020

Portincaple from the water in 1952 (Valentine) Situated on Loch Long, directly opposite the entrance to Loch Goil, the hamlet of Portincaple hosted a ferry of some antiquity. With the advent of the steam-boat, the ferry was a calling point and the few residents and visitors could hail vessels on the Lochgoilhead and Arrochar stations. Greenock Telegraph, May 23, 1871 The coasters of the West Highland Trading Company were active in bringing coal and supplies to Lochlongside in the 1880s, and it was in the early 1880s that feuing was extended, coinciding with a proposal to build a railway from Helensburgh to Garelochhead and Portincaple. This eventually became a reality a decade later with the West Highland Line from Craigendoran. Glasgow Herald, May 27, 1880 “A station is to be placed at Portincaple, Loch Long, when the West Highland Railway is completed, and a new steamer will run...

Carrick Castle Pier

on Mar 19, 2020

The picturesque ruin of Carrick Castle at the mouth of Loch Goil has attracted visitors over the years. Hugh Macdonald in his classic book on the Clyde published in 1857, Days at the Coast, mentions the grandeur of the surroundings and the antiquity of the site. The photograph below by Annan of Glasgow comes from an edition of his book from 1868. “As the good steamer continues to churn her way, a gentler and a more interesting picture floats into our ken. On the left, we find the mountains standing apart as it were, and leaving a sort of tiny valley with a few level acres of green in its breast, and a picturesque old castle projecting into the margin of the loch. This is Carrick Castle, an ancient seat of the Dunmore family, but which, according to one tradition, was erected by the Danes, and by another, by Robert the Bruce, when he was Earl of Carrick. We suspectthe latter supposition...

Ardentinny and Coulport

on Feb 29, 2020

The ferry across Loch Long at Ardentinny has been in existence long before steam boats gained access to the Clyde sea lochs. It formed part of an old drove road to bring cattle from the highlands to the Falkirk market. The crossing to Coulport, over to the Gareloch and thence by Glen Fruin to Balloch and the Endrick valley was a convenient track for the drovers from Lochfyneside. After the introduction of steam boats on the Clyde, the ferry also provided access for local residents and visitors who could sail from Glasgow on the steam boats bound for Lochgoilhead and Arrochar and land at the picturesque village on Loch Long. The landowner, General Sir John Douglas of Glenfinart was one of the promoters of the Caledonian Railway’s Gourock Harbour and Quay Bill to provide a pier and terminus at Gourock. In his statement in April 1883 he indicated that he never could understand why there...

Queen of Loch Earn

on Jan 5, 2020

Loch Earn had to wait until 1922 before her waters were graced by a vessel in public service. The Queen of Loch Earn was a 56 foot motor vessel built in Fraserburgh for Mr. Peter Crerar. Mr Crerar was an enterprising char-a-banc owner from Crieff who had popularized “Crerar’s Tours” that provided trips to the picturesque beauties of Perthshire and surrounding area. He also opened a cinema in Crieff and in Auchterader and eventually had interests in cinemas and theatres in Glasgow, Kircaldy and Dunfermline. The country areas were not left out and he ran a “travelling cinema” for villages in Perthshire. “Motor pleasure boat on Loch Earn. Launched this week. Early on Thursday morning, the motor boat, Queen of Loch Earn, intended to ply as a pleasure craft between St Fillans and Lochearnhead, was successfully launched at the former place. thus in a manner placing the lovely Loch Earn on a...