More Sunday Steamers

on Aug 3, 2015

The pioneering Sunday Steamer, Emperor, began sailing in 1853 amidst strong opposition from the Scottish Sabbatarians. The opposition culminated in the “battle of Garelochhead” and an ensuing court case that raised an interdiction against Sunday sailing. At the end of 1853, the Court refused to grant the interdict and so Sunday sailing could continue. In the new year, 1854, the Emperor began to sail in mid March with a celebratory visit on March 19 to Row and Garelochhead and a week later to Dunoon and Kilmun. With a court judgement in its favour, the future on Sunday sailing seemed assured. On April 12, 1854 the Scotsman reported that two additional Sunday steamers would sail that season but they did not make an appearance. Much of the animosity had died down but there were still crowds of Sabbatarians, admittedly smaller than the previous year, to greet the steamer at the piers she...

Smaller craft around the resorts

on Jul 5, 2015

A number of small steamers and later, motor boats provided cruises from Rothesay to such destinations as the Kyles of Bute, Loch Striven and Ormidale. They were very popular. Comet in Rothesay Bay (Adamson) The little wooden paddle steamer Comet operated cruises in the early 1890s for Mr. H. McIntyre. She was built in 1892 at Port Glasgow by Robert Rodger and was destroyed by fire in 1894. Unidentified paddle yacht in Rothesay Bay There were other small paddle steamers at Rothesay at this time. Above is an unidentified vessel about to experience the wake of the new Lord of the Isles. Francis Dewar’s Lady Bute With the introduction of the motor boat and motor launch, there was a considerable expansion of these short cruises. Francis Dewar carried on a business as Carpenter and boatbuilder at 14 Watergate Rothesay in the years before the first-world war. He offered cruises with the...

William Findlay Johnstone

on Jul 1, 2015

When Messrs. Burns withdrew from ownership of their Clyde and West Highland Steamers in January 1851, the steamers on the West Highland line went to Messrs. Hutcheson while the Clyde steamers were purchased by a company headed by the shipbuilders, William Denny & Brothers. Of the ships sold to the Denny concern, the Rothesay Castle of 1837, and Inveraray Castle of 1839 were immediately transferred to the ownership of Messrs. Roxburgh for the Glasgow and Lochfyne service. It is reported that the Rothesay Castle was subsequently sold in April 1851 to southern England but she certainly returned to the Clyde and made her way eventually to the Island of St Thomas in the West Indies where she had mechanical problems on her way to Australia. She survived there until May 1855 at least, as she was sold around that month for £420. “The Culloden and the Rothesay Castle, the last of the...