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 Lady Bute, a motor launch.
Lady Bute reversing from her berth
In the 1920s, James McIver, a native of Lamlash who had come to the resort in 1901, had an interest in cruises with motor boats and his son W. Aidan McIver and John Morris formed a partnership than ran the May Queen and later had her larger successor Gay Queen built at Fraserburgh in 1938.
A crowded May Queen in the early 1930s
They offered cruises with music supplied by the violinist, Mr. Bob Buchanan. The company McIver & Morris Ltd., of 15 Argyle Place ran the Gay Queen until 1980 when she was sold to Mr. George Wilson. She was again sold on to owners in Poole around 1983.
Gay Queen at her berth on the Road to Ardbeg
Gay Queen at her jetty in the 1950s (Ralston)
Gay Queen around 1980
A contemporary competitor to the Gay Queen was the Maid of Bute, owned by Mr Knox. She was sold to the Forth in 1973.
Maid of Bute at her berth in the harbour
Maid of Bute in the outer harbour
Well filled Maid of Bute in the 1950s (Valentine)
Maid of Bute in Rothesay Outer Harbour in 1959 (Valentine)
Maid of Bute leaving Rothesay Harbour
Rothesay boat hirers in 1938: Freckleton, Macfarlane, Dewar, Taylor and Syme (Valentine)
Bert Campbell’s Victory with Harry Leitch’s launch Happy Return at the next slip in the 1950s at Rothesay (Valentine)
Cruising out of other resorts was also popular. Largs and Dunoon both had many boat hirers who offered excursions by motor launch.
At Largs around 1910.
Motor boats at Largs beach in the 1930s
Cruising at Dunoon
In this picture from around 1930, one of the more popular cruises to the Holy Loch sets off from the beach near the Castle Rocks. The Columba is in the background about to take Dunoon Pier on her return from Ardrishaig.
Sheppey Queen off Hunter’s Quay
Later, after the second world war, a number of operators offered cruises from Dunoon. Here the Sheppey Queen has a group off the entrance to the Holy Loch. She was built at Sittingbourne in 1946 and the late 1950s and early 1960s ran excursions from Dunoon.
Dolphin off Gourock
Greenock and Gourock also had their small craft. The Dolphin motor launch built by Robert S Banner, Yacht Builder, Gourock Slip. He was listed as a yacht and boatbuilder between 1898 and about 1910. A hardy soul, he recounted his adventures in yachts, sailing in the lower Firth in November, 1898 issue of the North British Forest and Stream.
Kilcreggan Ferry at Gourock
Ritchie Brothers employed a number of craft over the years including Lady Jane Ritchie, Port Lass, Port Star, Tiger, Countess of Kempock, and Kempock Lad. In 1936 some of these little boats were busy with trips to see the new Queen Mary as she lay at the Tail of the Bank having made her way down river from Clydebank.
Queen Mary off Tail of the Bank
The Kilcreggan Ferry from Gourock and connections to Helensburgh became the mainstay of the Countess of Kempock. Later, in the 1960s, Roy Ritchie ran a number of small motor vessels including Granny Kempock, Westering Home, Gourockian (previously Ashton) and later the Countess of Kempock. Granny Kempock was a naval MFV built in 1944 by Kris Cruisers, and after the war was converted for ferry work. She is seen here leaving Helensburgh.
Granny Kempock leaving Helensburgh
Granny Kempock at Gourock
Countess of Breadalbane at Gourock late in her career with the Caledonian Steam Packet Co. Ltd. She later became Ritchie’s Countess of Kempock
Countess of Kempock
Hugh McLean & Sons of Renfrew built the Rover for Clyde Marine Motoring Co. Ltd., of Greenock in 1964. A smart looking craft she was used on excursions as well as tendering to ships lying in the estuary.
Rover (Clyde Marine Motoring Co. Ltd.)
The Rover’s fleet-mate for a number of years was the Second Snark, built by William Denny & Bros., in 1938 at Dumbarton as a yard tender. After the yard closed in 1961, she was sold to the Forth but returned to the Clyde in 1969 for Clyde Marine Motoring Co. Ltd.
Second Snark (Clyde Marine Motoring Co. Ltd.)
Second Snark at Dunoon Pier
The Second Snark was built to replace the Snark of 1898, seen here off Greenock.
Denny’s Snark (Riddel, Alexandria)
https://thelochsidepress.files.wordpress.com
http://www.butesonsanddaughters.co.uk
Alistair Deayton, “Glasgow and South Western and Other Steamers,” Tempus, Stroud 2002.
Alex C. Thomson, “Life on the Shore,” Strone, 2001.
July 6, 2015
Another fantastic Piece, Have been on the “Granny Kempock” a lot when she was doing the killcreggan run, early 70’s.
June 13, 2016
Fished on this boat in the 1970s from gourock
Frank from Whitburn
May 2, 2016
Fished on the granny kempoch, out of gourock, many times in early 70’s with Ect sea angling club. Great times.
June 25, 2016
hello,
how can I contact you directly please?
I own Sheppey Queen, and have just seen the wonderful picture that you posted of her…
I would love a copy if at all possible…
Also, I am selling her, sadly…..would love to find a way to put the word out in Scotland…
she is in great condition and remembers fondly her days on the Holy Loch.
June 25, 2016
Alexandra: Hopefully you now have the copy.
November 20, 2016
So excited. My husband’s father, grandfather and great – grandfather rowed boats for tourists in Rothesay bay. I love the pictures!
November 20, 2016
We would also appreciate be the pictures of the Lady Bute. My husband’s grandfather was Francis Dewar ( as was his great grandfather).
November 21, 2016
Terry: Glad you found this of interest. I will send scans of the pictures of Lady Bute in a day or so by Box. Graham
November 23, 2016
Oh what a thrill to see your pictures of the Lady Bute! Francis Dewar is my Grandfather, (My father, Albert Dewar, is his son who rowed the boats as a young lad. He later emigrated to Canada after WW2). His daughter, Cathie Dewar McLaren, resided at Alexandra Cottage, Rothesay, her entire life. We visited beautiful Rothesay and the Isle of Bute just a couple of years ago, so seeing these pictures was a real treat! Many thanks for your work in creating these wonderful memories! Is there a chance of receiving print copies of the Lady Bute? (I would of course be willing to reimburse you for your efforts) Greetings from Calgary, Alberta, Canada!
November 24, 2016
Fiona: I have sent you an email to get an address to send copies. Graham
November 27, 2016
you are slightly in error—in the 60`s ROY Ritchie ran the GRANNY KEMPOCK, WESTERING HOME, ASHTON (renamed Gourockian) and later the COUNTESS OF BREADALBANE . Ritchie BROTHERS ran the LADY JANE RITCHIE, PORT STAR, TIGER and KEMPOCK LAD I know————I was brought up in gourock and my brother and I at various times skippered All of them except the COUNTESS!
November 29, 2016
Chas: Thank you so much for your comment. I’m no expert but try my best, and getting feedback like this is exactly why I chose to set up this site. I’ll modify the entry with the new information. Many thanks again. Graham
September 2, 2020
Magic website – thanks for so many memories. Have you any recall of Rab Ritchie and his open ferry from Gourock Pierhead to Kilcreggan?
I can still remember the punt punt of his engine which I was told was a single cylinder Kelvin.
September 30, 2021
I lived in gourock in the late 1950’s and was friendly with Rab Ritchie’s son Robert who was about the same age as me – I was born in 1943. The ferry you refer to was called Tiger and would be perhaps 40-45 feet. I have a clear recollection of Robert allowing me
to take the helm from Gourock to Kilcreggan with a full load of passengers who were
clearly not disturbed by being left in charge of a 15 year old boy. Can you imagine that
nowadays? The health and safety people – and the insurers- would have a fit!
July 25, 2017
Brought back fond memories of going to kilcreagan with my parents in the sixties onboard granny kempock thankyou .
July 25, 2017
Glad it brought you some pleasure. I remember Granny Kempock fondly seeing her at Helensburgh.
May 5, 2018
The LADY JANE RITCHIE was an interesting vessel, built in 1944 by the Ritchie Brothers. She had an L2 Kelvin-Diesel and this was allegedly the first installation of the fresh-water cooled Kelvins. The GRANNY KEMPOCK had an L6. In her day the LADY JANE apparently had the largest passenger certificate of any open launch 100 or 105 passengers with a crew of 2. She was heavily timbered and an excellent seaboat, making passages to Rothesay in winter with the Sunday papers when everything else on the Firth was tied-up.
May 8, 2018
Harold: Nice to hear from you. I’ll need to see if I can track down a photograph of the Lady Jane Ritchie. Graham
May 11, 2018
Memory buttons well and truly pushed. Thank you. I grew up in Helensburgh, and used to love handing around the local pier when the steamers and ferries came in. I remember the Granny Kempock fondly, and was always under the impression that the ferry was named after a local witch (a good one!) Anyone else heard that story?
May 23, 2018
Have a look on Wikipedia under “Granny Kempock Stone” and all will be revealed. When you read the entry you might wonder that anyone would call their vessel “Granny Kempock” at all!
May 23, 2018
David: You make a good point, though there are plenty of other ships with links to witches and the netherworld. Just think of the names of the Greek gods used by the Glasgow and Southwestern Railway or indeed Cutty Sark.
September 13, 2018
Very interested in your section on the Gay Queen and very pleased to hear she is still going strong.
As a teenager I spent many great summer holidays in the 1960s. I was a regular passenger. She had a friendly rivalry with the Maid of Bute
My parents bought the old RN WW2 site next to Colintraive Church. We always enjoyed a friendly ring on her bell if we gave her a wave from the beach. My father bought a rowing boat from the owners of the Gay Queen. She towed it up to Colintraive on one of her regular runs and dropped it off for us
Happy happy memories!
Many many thanks
September 13, 2018
Great stories Robert. Glad this brought back happy memories. Graham
August 4, 2019
Hi
Very interested to read about Ritchie’s of Gourock as they were my mothers cousins she often spoke of Roy & Alex
Margaret Barbour
September 3, 2020
This was the LADY JANE RITCHIE. She had an L2 Kelvin-Diesel (2 cylinder), and is believed to have been the first installation of the model L fresh-water cooled Kelvins.
September 16, 2022
The MAID OF BUTE went from Rothesay to run from Fort William. She went to the Firth of Forth in 1982 and later went to Southend-on-Sea then Falmouth where she is now the QUEEN OF FALMOUTH.
October 13, 2024
Hi , my grandfather is James McIver, from the stories he told us as children he rowed boats out of Rothsey Bay for tourists and royalty, before immigrating to Australia. In the 1920 or 1930. I have been reading your article and would be interested in any information you may know about the James McIver that ran and owned McIver and Morris Ltd. I am thinking that James McIver maybe my great grandfather with a son also called James McIver. I do not have very much information about my grandfather and his life before moving to Australia. The dates and years line up. I am not aware that my grandfather James McIver had a brother by the name W. Aidan McIver. I recall my grandfather taking about his sister Evelyn only. We are currently doing a family tree on the McIvers and I am the only McIver left in our family. We are travelling to Scotland in January 2025 and are spending time in Rothsey hoping to contact any members of our McIver family.
Any information will be greatly appreciated
Bruce McIver