Steam yachts for pleasure have been the prerogative of the wealthy from the earliest days of steam power. From the largest vessels measuring more than 200 feet, requiring a crew numbering in the dozens, to small steamers not much larger than launches, they were generally well turned out and universally admired. Perhaps the genre reached a pinnacle in the 1890s and the early years of the following century, when the designs of G. L. Watson and the shipbuilding reputation of the Clyde, brought the world to the river. World War I largely finished the boom although there were some notable additions during the 1920s. The Wall Street crash wiped out what remained and by the 1930s, motor propulsion came into fashion.

This is a pictorial album of steam yachts. Some of the pictures are from commercial postcards, others are from old photographs and glass slides, but the bulk are photographs from a visit to the Clyde Fortnight in 1904. The family who captured the scene appear to have come over from Belfast on Messrs Burns’ Pointer and had a connection with the owner of the steam yacht Oransay, Henry Auld, of the Sun Foundry in Glasgow. The yacht would appear to have been based at Ormidale in the Kyles of Bute. The family also seems to have been in the market for a small steam launch themselves and visited boatbuilders at Bowling and on the Gareloch.

On board Pointer, heading for the Clyde in 1904

On board Pointer in 1904.

Apart from a few commercial postcards, I have had to identify most of the vessels and there may well be some mistakes. Some of the yachts are as yet unidentified but perhaps someone who reads this can provide input. I am always happy to be corrected.

The account starts much earlier, with some carte-de-visite photographs showing steam yachts built by some of the smaller yards on the Clyde.

Fairy Queen on Lake Windermere

Fairy Queen, docked on Lake Windermere

Fairy Queen, interior

Fairy Queen, was built by Messrs T. B. Seath, Rutherglen in 1860 for Mr G. J. M Ridehalgh to sail on Lake Windermere. She was 85 feet long by 8½ feet in breadth and propelled by a 16 h.p engine.

Amy, one of several yachts of the same name for Ninian Stewart

Amy, was built by Messrs Henderson, Coulborn & Co., Renfrew, for Ninian Bannatyne Stewart of Keil, Argyll in 1874. She was 144 feet long by 19 feet in the beam and propelled by a 2-cylinder engine. She was sold to Mr Herbert Wood of Raasay in 1878 and renamed Rona and after passing through several hands, broken up in 1934.

Unidentified yacht at Oban

This small, unnamed yacht with her proud crew is pictured at Oban.

Oaks, built at Rutherglen

Oaks, built by Messrs T. B. Seath, Rutherglen for the builders in 1881. She was 140 feet in length and 14 feet in breadth and powered by a single screw driven by a 2-cylinder 40 h.p. engine.

Messrs Coats’ Iris

Iris

Iris, was the product of Messrs A. & J. Inglis, Glasgow, for James Coats Jr., of Paisley, one of the threadmaking family, in 1892. She was 78½ feet in length by 14 feet in breadth and had a 3 cylinder 25 h.p. engine driving her screw. She went to Middlesburgh in 1912 and was converted to a tug seven years later.

Verve (Robertson, Gourock)

Verve built as Minona in 1896 by the Ailsa Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, Troon for Mr Peter Stewart of Moidart, she was subsequently sold to Mr Robert Wylie of Glasgow in 1908 and renamed Verve before passing to the cotton emperor, Mr Wiliam Birtwistle of Blackburn in 1922. She was 92½ feet in length by 15½ feet in the beam.

Erin

Erin, built Messrs Scotts’ Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. Ltd., at Greenock as Aegusa, for Italian owners, in 1897 . She was 264½ feet in length by 31½ feet in breadth with a 4-cylinder engine. In 1898 Sir Thomas Lipton purchased her to serve as tender to his sailing yacht, Shamrock IV. In 1914, she was requisioned by the Admiralty, and was mined off Malta in 1916.

Norseman (Robertson, Gourock)

Norseman, built by Messrs D. & W. Henderson, Glasgow, for Oldham engineer Mr S. R. Platt in 1898 and was 160 feet in length by 27 feet in the beam. She passed through many hands before being taken over by the French Navy in 1917 and subsequently entered service for Italian owners as a trading schooner.

Mingary (Robertson, Gourock) also in colour at the beginning of the article.

Mingary in Oban Bay

Mingary in the western isles

Mingary, built by the Ailsa Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Troon in 1899 for Charles D. Rudd of Sheilbridge. She was 187½ feet in length by 27½ feet in breadth and powered by a 3-cylinder engine developing 123 h.p. She was requisitioned by the admiralty at the beginning of 1915 and sold when returned to her owners in 1919. In 1920, she went to the middle-east as a ferry. G. L. Watson Rudd was a friend and partner of Cecil Rhodes and made his money in diamond and Gold mining. He purchased the Ardnamunachan estate in 1896.

Stradella at Eybury

Stradella was a wooden vessel designed by G. L. Watson, and built by Messrs Paul Jones & Son, Gourock in 1901 for Mr D. N. Bertram of Edinburgh. She was 80½ feet by 14 feet. In 1910 she was sold to owners in Surrey. She is seen here at Eybury.

Iolaire (Robertson, Gourock)

Iolaire (Robertson, Gourock)

Iolaire at Tighnabruaich regatta (Spencer)

Iolair, built by Messrs Wm Beardmore & Co., Ltd, Govan. For Sir Donald Currie in 1902, she was 236 ½ feet in length by 30 feet in the beam. Currie founded the Castle Line involved in the South African shipping trade that amalgamated with the Union Line to become Union-Castle. In 1915 she was requisitioned by the Admiralty and served on anti-submarine duties.

Medea (Robertson, Gourock)

Medea, built by Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd., Govan for William M‘Allister Hall of Torridale Castle in 1904. She was 109½ feet in length by 16.6 feet in breadth. She served with the French Government in World War I and is currently preserved at San Diego as a historic ship.

The yacht Rosabelle at Arrochar (Gilchrist), built in 1900 by Messrs Rmage & Ferguson, Leith, in 1902 for Theodore Pim of Crayford, Kent. (identification by Bernard Vivegnis and Iain M‘Allister is gratefully acknowledged)

Perhaps the same yacht, Rosabelle, with a white hull at Arrochar

The following photographs were taken in 1904 and are from an album.

May Queen in Rothesay Bay

May Queen, was built of wood by Messrs Chambers Brothers, as Sea King at Dumbarton for John M‘Donald, Greenock in 1894. She had a 4hp 2-cylinder engine wood. She was purchased by Mr Bruce W Kelly who owned the Alexandra Hotel, in Rothesay who changed her name to May Queen.

Ina in the Kyles of Bute

Greta

Greta, was built Messrs Scott & Co., at Greenock for Mr John Scott, she was 145 feet by 22 feet in 1895.

Unidentified yacht

Erin, Sir Thomas Lipton’s yacht in 1904

Beryl

Beryl, was built Messrs Scotts’ Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. Ltd., at Greenock for Mr Wyndham Francis Cook of London in 1904. He was the son of Sir Francis Cook, British Merchant and Art Collector, Viscount of Monserrate, who became immensely wealthy. In 1905 Beryl was sold to Mr James Burns, Lord, Inverclyde who sold her in 1911 to Lord Hollenden who renamed her Lorna. She was requisitioned by the Admiralty in 1914. Her dimensions were 168½ feet by 25 feet and her two screws were driven by a three-cylinder engine.

Oransay

Oransay, Built by Messrs J. Fullerton & Co., Paisley in 1904 for Henry D. Auld of Glasgow, owner of the Sun Foundry she was 70 feet long by 13 feet in the beam. She was sold to owners in London and eventually ran excursions at Scarborough in the 1920s.

Oransay at Ormidale

Oransay at Ormidale

Oransay at Ormidale

On board Oransay

Queen of Scots in Kyles of Bute

Queen of Scots in Lamlash Bay

Queen of Scots, was designed by G. L Watson and built by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Co., Ltd., Govan for William Allan Coats of Skelmorlie Castle, in 1904, she was 175½ feet in length by 28½ feet in breadth with two screws driven by 3-cylinder engines providing 100 h.p.. In 1926, ownership passed to Thomas H. Coats of Renfrew. She survived until 1952.

Nirvana

Nirvana, was designed by G. L Watson and built by Messrs D. & W. Henderson, Glasgow, for Comtesse de Bearn, in 1904 and shortly afterwards became the official yacht of the French Embassy in Istanbul. She appears to be flying the red ensign and so was probably before delivery. Nirvana was 234 feet in length by 30 feet in breadth and was driven by two 4-cylinder engines propelling separate screws. She lasted until 1938 when she was converted to a gunboat for the Italian Navy.

A neat yacht unidentified in 1904

An older unidentified yacht in 1904

Visits to the boatyard in 1904.

Gareloch boatyard

Bowling boatyard

This marks the end of the 1904 photographs,

Zarefah

Built as Maretanza in 1905 by Messrs George Brown & Co, Greenock for Sir John Denison-Pender, London who made his fortune in the South African War where his Eastern Telegraph Company provided communications. She was 129½ in length by 22 feet in the beam. In 1907 purchased by William Birtwistle of Blackburn, Lancashire and renames Zarefah. Taken over and subsequently purchased by Admiralty in 1914 and sunk by a mine in 1917.

Isle of May (Robertson, Gourock)

Isle of May, was built as a fishing trawler by Messrs Hawthorns & Co., Leith, she was 90 feet long by 19 feet in breadth. In 1905 she was acquired by Granville Craig of County Down who converted her into a yacht. She was purchased by Mr William F Robertson of Glasgow in 1920, and in 1935 passed to Mr Walter Brock of Dumbarton. She served as an examination vessel on the Clyde during the second world war.

Doris

Doris, was designed by G. L Watson and built by Messrs John Brown & Co., Ltd, at Clydebank in for Solomon B Joel of London in 1910. Mr Joel had made his fortune in the diamond trade in South Africa. She was 238½ feet in length by 31 feet. She was requisitioned by the admiralty in 1914. GL Watson

Launch of Volo in 1910 at Paisley

Volo was built by Messrs Bow, McLachlan & Co. Ltd. in 1910 for Mr William Bow of Paisley. 109½ feet in length by 18½ feet in the beam.

Cutty Sark on the Mersey (Feilden)

Cutty Sark, built by Messrs Yarrow & Co., Ltd. of Scotstoun as a war ship but too late for World War I, she was converted to a turbine driven yacht for Major Henry Keswick in 1920. At 273 feet in length by 25½ feet in breadth her two screws could drive her at 25 knots. She was taken over by the admiralty at the beginning of World War II in 1939, for anti-submarine duties.

Iona (Robertson, Gourock)

Iona built as Volo by Messrs Bow, McLachlan & Co. Ltd. in 1920 for Mr William Bow of Paisley as a replacement for his Volo of 1910. She was sold the same year to Sir Joseph Maclay, chairman of Messrs Maclay & Macintyre Ltd., shipowners of Glasgow.

Restless (Robertson, Gourock)

Restless was built by Messrs John Brown & Co., Ltd, at Clydebank in 1923 for Mr Alex S. Cochran, Glasgow, she was 186 feet in length by 29 ½ feet in breadth. She was sold to Lord Tredegar in 1924, and then to the Duke of Sutherland two years later before becoming the property of King Faisal of Iraq in 1935. She became a lighthouse tender in 1938 and lasted until 1974.

Nahlin in the Mersey (Feilden)

Nahlin in the Mersey (Feilden)

Nahlin was designed by G. L. Watson and built by Messrs John Brown & Co., Ltd, at Clydebank in 1930 for Lady Annie Yule. With steam turbine propulsion, she was 300 feet in length by 36 feet in the beam. She was sold in 1937 to King Carol II of Romania but returned to British ownership in 1999 and remains in service.

Martin Black, “G. L. Watson,” Peggy Bawn Press, , Limerick, 2011.

David Couling, “Steam Yachts,” Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 1980.