Photographs of the Clyde Harbours and Resorts taken from the air and made into postcards have always been popular. They are an easy way of showing where you stay whether all-year-round, or on holiday.

The earliest photographs of the Clyde that were released commercially appear to have been the work of an Edinburgh Company in the years shortly after the First World War, around 1920 or 1921. They are generally marked Aerial Photos Ltd., Edinburgh. They include a good selection of the Cowal Coast, including Dunoon, Rothesay and surrounding areas in Bute, and coastal towns in the Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire and Ayrshire. The photographs are oblique, taken at an angle, rather than the vertical stereo-pairs associated with mapping of later years. Quite a few show some of the steamers of the day. It is not clear what aircraft were used to obtain these photographs.

Hunter’s Quay and the Holy Loch

Eagle III at Kirn

Kirn from the air

Eagle III leaving Kirn

Eagle III at Dunoon

East Bay Esplanade, Dunoon

West Bay Esplanade, Dunoon

Dunoon from the air in 1921

Wemyss Bay

Chevalier at Wemyss Bay

Duchess of Rothesay and Chevalier at Wemyss Bay

West end of Greenock with St Andrew’s Church of Scotland and Glenpark cricket ground on the right

Gourock outdoor swimming pool

A closer view of the swimming pool

Gourock Esplanade and Gourock Royal Yacht Club

Columba

Lord of the Isles

Glen Rosa approaching Millport

Port Bannatyne

Kyles of Bute Hydro

Rothesay with a North British Steamer

Heading north over Ayr

Ayr again, closer to the river

Over the river Ayr

Prestwick

Helensburgh Granary and Railway station

Helensburgh West End

Dumbarton showing Denny Engine Works

Dumbarton Rock

Dumbarton and the Leven

Alexandria in the Vale of Leven

Ardrossan Shipyards

One particular postcard shows the Duchess of Rothesay at Gourock Pier on Saturday, July 10, 1920, when the King and Queen accompanied by Princess Mary arrived from Edinburgh on the royal train and passed over the decks of the steamer to embark on the naval barge to take them to the royal yacht, Victoria and Albert in Gourock Bay. Shortly afterwards, the royal yacht sailed through the assembled Atlantic Fleet to Rothesay Bay where the King and his cutter Britannia, took part in the Royal Northern Yacht Club regatta on the following Monday and Tuesday. The photographs were taken from a sea plane in poor weather. (To the Coast, I. McCrorie, Fairlie Press, 1989; Glasgow Herald July 12, 1920)

Duchess of Rothesay at Gourock

Royal Yacht with King Edward passing astern

Royal Yacht off Fort Matilda

As the Royal Yacht made its way to Rothesay Bay, she was escorted by the destroyer, H.M.S Wrestler.

H. M. Y. Victoria and Albert Rothesay Bay, July 10, 1920 

Escort destroyer H. M. S. Wrestler, July 10, 1920

The Aerial Photos company ceased operation in 1921, and a number of these views were reissued by Messrs Valentine in their aerial series with numbers beginning with “A”, not to be confused with the later series of regular views beginning with “A” from the mid-1930s. The Valentine series are not as sharp as the originals from Aerial Photos.

Glen Rosa at Millport (Valentine)

Mercury at Rothesay with Isle of Skye (Valentine)

Mercury at Rothesay Pier with Isle of Skye (Valentine)

Duchess of Rothesay approaching Craigmore (Valentine)

Kilcreggan (Valentine)

The next group of photographs comes from the 1927 or 1928 period and was released by Aerofilms Ltd. They cover similar areas but concentrated mainly on the towns and industry and are full of interest.

Princes Dock (Aerofilms)

Singer Factory and Forth and Clyde Canal

Singer Factory and Beardmore Yard, Clydebank (Aerofilms)

Ferguslie Thread Works, Paisley (Aerofilms)

Denny Shipyard and Dumbarton Rock (Aerofilms)

McMillan Shipyard, Dumbarton (Aerofilms)

Dennystown Forge Dumbarton (Aerofilms)

Dillichip Works, Vale of Leven (Aerofilms)

Alexandria, Vale of Leven (Aerofilms)

Bonhill Bridge (Aerofilms)

Croftengea Works, Alexandria (Aerofilms)

Levenbank Works, Jamestown, Vale of Leven (Aerofilms)

British Silk Dyeing Works in Balloch when new in 1929 (Aerofilms for the BSD)

Balloch Bridge and the Leven, Vale of Leven (Aerofilms)

It was at this time that local Councils were approached for permission to seek out land suitable for aerodromes. Renfrew aerodrome had been in operation since before the First World War but suitable landing sites were sought elsewhere. Typical, was the approach made by Alan Cobham Aviation Limited to Dumbarton Town Council’s Publicity and Advertising Committee Meeting on February 17, 1930. The Committee agreed to permitting the survey provided it was done free of all costs to the Council.

Greenock, Albert Harbour and Princes Pier (Aerofilms)

Greenock, Princes Pier (Aerofilms)

Gourock East Bay (Aerofilms)

Gourock (Aerofilms)

Kirn, Dunoon (Aerofilms)

Dunoon, Cowal Hotel (Aerofilms)

Dunoon (Aerofilms)

Turnberry Hotel

Girvan Beach (Aerofilms)

Ardrossan Beach (Aerofilms)

Ardrossan (Aerofilms)

Ardrossan Shipyard

Ardrossan Harbour (Aerofilms)

Largs (Aerofilms)

Largs (Aerofilms)

Stranraer (Aerofilms)

Stranraer (Aerofilms)

The final series before the Second World War was by J. M. Lawson Aerial Films (Scotland) Ltd. in the 1937 to 1938 period. Again they surveyed the resorts with oblique photographs.

Helensburgh (Lawson)

Dunoon Pier from the air with Eagle III and Jupiter or Juno (Lawson)

Vanduara, Largs (Lawson)

Largs (Lawson)

Largs (Lawson)

Busy day at Largs (Lawson) 

Largs from south

Rothesay with King Edward, Mercury and Duchess of Montrose (Lawson)

After the Second World War, aerial photography became more common and a number of companies released postcards of aerial views. Among these were Henderson of Maybole, and Valentines who used a number of photographs taken by the Scottish Sunday Express and Scottish Daily Mail.

Ayr (Henderson)

King Edward at Largs (Henderson)

Troon

Duchess of Montrose at Rothesay (Aero Pictorial)

Glenburn Hotel Rothesay (Aero Pictorial)

Helensburgh

Campbeltown (Scottish Daily Mail)

Dunoon (Scottish Daily Mail)

Largs with Duchess of Fife (Scottish Daily Mail)

Troon (Scottish Daily Mail)

Prestwick (Scottish Daily Express)

Ayr (Scottish Daily Mail)

Marchioness of Graham at Brodick (Scottish Sunday Express)

Ardrossan Harbour (Scottish Sunday Express)

Jeanie Deans (Scottish Sunday Express)