After a disastrous year in 1927, the shipping empire of David MacBrayne was reorganized as David MacBrayne (1928) Ltd., becoming part of a combined Coast Lines  and L.M.S. Railway enterprise. Part of the reorganization involved the construction of four new vessels for the west highland and island trade, and the first of these, the steamer Lochness, entered service in 1929 and has been featured in a previous article on the Stornoway route.

Following the steamship Lochness, the company ordered two motor sister ships from the Ardrossan Dockyard Company towards the end of 1929. The Lochearn was launched April 29, 1930, and her sister, Lochmor, launched two weeks later on May 15. The ships were relatively short at 156 feet in length by 29 feet in the beam and 9 ft depth. They were powered by a twin set of Gardiner motors generating 600 b.h.p. and driving two screws. It had been planned that they would have a speed of 12½ knots but unfortunately they were slow with a service speed below 10 knots, and the power plant was noisy. Despite these shortcomings and lively behaviour in stormy weather, they were good sea-boats, and served their purpose well.

The focus of the ships was on providing a comfortable service for the inhabitants of the isles and developing the summer tourist trade. The had certification for 400 passengers and cargo limited to 500 tons. Passenger accommodation was good with a dining room, lounge and smoking room and limited cabin accommodation for first and second class travellers.

Some of the then current thinking comes through in the remarks made on Lochearn’s trial run.

“The Highland problem.—Developing tourist traffic.—State aid suggested.—The motor vessel Lochearn, built by the Ardrossan Dockyard Co. for David MacBrayne (1928) (Ltd.), performed a successful trial run on the River Clyde yesterday. Intended for service between Oban and Tobermory, Castlebay, Coll, Tiree, and Loch Maree, the Lochearn is constructed to carry 400 passengers in addition to cargo and live-stock. First and second class sleeping accommodation is provided, while the arrangements made for the comfort of the passengers are all that can be desired. Presiding at a luncheon on-board the vessel, Mr H. T. Leith, general manager of Messrs MacBrayne, said that the Lochearn was the third new ship completed for the Company within the past twelve months. A sister ship of the Lochearn was nearing completion in the same yard, and would be on service within a few weeks. Referring to the vexed problem of the West Highlands, Mr Leith said that it was generally agreed that the Highlands were not self-supporting. Under modern conditions which more and more tended towards centralisation even on the mainland the trend was towards large industrial centres so that industrially a future for the Highlands could not be expected. In all discussions, however, one great factor stood out—the incomparable beauty and charm of the Highlands and Islands. Was not that, therefore, the direction in which efforts should be made to solve the problem not only from the point of view of the Highlander, but also for the purpose of opening up a veritable wonderland for the millions of their own countrymen who at present flocked to the Continent? That might appear ambitious, but it was by no means unrealisable. He agreed it was too much to expect private enterprise to shoulder the undoubtedly heavy responsibility of the necessary developments. He suggested that it was a national matter. Hotels, hostels, piers, and roads were required, as well as facilities for recreation. Many natural golf courses only awaited the golfer. Access to mountains and deer forests should be made available; then he firmly believed the Highland problem would be solved. A scheme on the lines indicated would provide work for some time to come for many thousands of unemployed in various trades and he thought the Government could undertake the work as a charge against present unemployment expenditure, so that future income should be sufficient to meet future expenditure.”—Scotsman, May 31, 1930

Lochearn at Barra (Tuck)

Lochearn at Portree in 1936 (Valentine)

Lochmor was based at Kyle and took up the outer-isles service to Tarbert, Lochmaddy, Lochboisdale, Rum, Eigg and Mull, will calls at Mallaig and Skye.

Lochmor at Tarbert (Tuck)

Lochmor at Mallaig

In March, 1931, Lochearn had a grounding.

“Western mailboat ashore.—In thick fog, about three o’clock on Saturday morning, the mailboat Lochearn, from Stornoway to Kyle, went ashore at Lonbane, Applecross, Ross-shire. The steering gear was damaged, propellers broken, and she was slightly holed. The sister ship, Lochmor, and the steamer Glencoe went to her assistance, and the three vessels arrived in Kyle in the afternoon. Fortunately the weather was good, but the passengers had a weary journey, being nearly 12 hours longer than usual on the voyage.”—Scotsman, March 23, 1931

The return to Kyle was captured in a memorable photograph with the two new motorships escorted by the aging steamship near Kyleakin.

Glencoe, Lochearn and Lochmor near Kyle (Kyle Pharmacy)

“Safely landed at Tiree.—Passengers had a narrow escape on the MacBrayne steamer Lochearn (which undertakes the services from Oban to the Outer Hebrides) early on Saturday morning. The vessel, under command of Captain MacDonald, was on its return journey from Castlebay on Friday night with four passengers. After calling at the island of Canna, landing goods, and taking another passenger on board, the Lochearn proceeded to Tiree.

“As the night was overcast, and showers of rain fell, it was dark, and visibility was very poor. The vessel struck on a submerged rock between Coll and Tiree, about three o’clock on Saturday morning. The passengers were roused by the shock of the impact. The lifeboat was kept in readiness in case of emergency. In consequence of damage to a plate in the ship’s bottom, water began to enter the hold. The pumps were brought into use, and the vessel was headed for Scarinish port .

“No alarm was caused, and the passengers were safely landed at the pier. By the time Scarinish was reached, however, there was 10 feet of water in the hold. The passengers included Mr Eric Moore, Oban; the Rev. Father Maclsaac, Mr and Mrs MacColl, Lochboisdale; and Mr MacDonald, tweed merchant, Harris. The Lochmor, sister vessel of the Lochearn, was immediately dispatched to Tiree from Mallaig. The mails and goods were transferred to the Lochmor without difficulty, and the vessel arrived at Oban at 10.30.”—Scotsman, May 16, 1932

Lochmor at Scarinish

After World War II, the two ships were given new Paxman-Ricardo diesel engines and their performance was much improved. The also appeared with shorter funnels.

“Mailboat services to the isles.—A new mailboat service has been inaugurated between Oban and the island of Colonsay in connection with the plan of Messrs MacBrayne to speed up and improve all the mailboat services to the Inner and Outer Hebrides. The temporary Oban mailboat, Lochness, made the first weekly trip to Colonsay yesterday after completing the inward trip across the Minch from Barra and Lochboisdale to Oban in record time—five hours faster than the slower mailboat, Lochearn, now being overhauled on the Clyde. It is proposed to provide more powerful engines for the mailboats Lochmor, Lochearn, and Lochinvar, in turn, and to reorganize all the existing services to facilitate travel to and from the isles.”—Scotsman, January 28, 1948

“Grounded vessel refloated.—The MacBrayne motor vessel Lochmor (542 tons ) which ran on the rocks at the northeast end of the island of Scarba, Argyll, early on Saturday morning , was refloated at high water yesterday after her cargo of about 60 head of cattle had been trans-shipped to the MacBrayne vessel Lochshiel. The Lochmor ran aground in a gale on Saturday morning while proceeding with the cattle to the island of Jura. The cattle, which were transferred to the Lochshiel by means of a gangway of planks, were landed at their destination at Craighouse Pier Jura. The Lochmor left for Ardrossan for inspection.”—Scotsman, October 11, 1948

“Hebrides ship is refloated.—The motor vessel Lochmor (542 tons), stranded on a flat rock as she made for the pier at Lochboisdale, outer Hebrides, on a falling tide last night, was refloated at high tide today. She was not damaged. The Lochmor was aground only a few yards from the pier, and passengers were taken ashore by boat. Owned by David MacBrayne, Ltd., the Lochmor is on the west of Scotland and outer islands service. She carried cargo and passengers. Captain and crew stayed aboard.”—November 15, 1952

Lochearn at Portree in 1955 (Judges)

Lochearn at Oban, August 28, 1957

Hoisting a horse on board Lochmor at Canna around 1960

Lochmor at Kyle, May 1963 

By the early 1960s, the tourist trade in Scotland was expanding but relied on the motor car. Transport of cars on Lochmor and Lochearn was a time-consuming exercise and the introduction of new car ferries in 1964 meant that the usefulness of the two veterans was coming to an end. Both were sold in 1964 to a Greek owner under Panamanian registry.