On Sunday, November 14, 1909, a stubborn anticyclone settled in to dominate the weather pattern over the West of Scotland and Northern Ireland over the following week. On Monday morning, November 15, the weather forecast for Glasgow predicted light to moderate north-easterly breezes; cloudy to fair or fair, with local rain, hail, or sleet, nothing particularly out of the ordinary for mid-November. It was a cold morning, and inland there was widespread frost.

The Campbeltown steamer Kinloch sailed from the Kintyre port at 3:30 p.m. for Carradale, Pirnmill, Lochranza, Gourock, Greenock, and Glasgow. There was only one steamer on the service at this time of the year, and she was expected to return from Glasgow the following morning at 6 a.m., connecting with the 7:55 am. train from St Enoch at Prince’s Pier and with the 8:35 a.m. train from Central at Gourock Quay. On her inward journey to Glasgow that afternoon, the Kinloch met with foggy conditions in the upper Firth, but managed to land most of her passengers at Greenock before heading up the river. Thickening fog, however, prevented the completion of her journey, and that evening she did not arrive at the harbour. She had disappeared into the gloom.

Kinloch on a misty though by no means foggy day

On the Monday night, the lower Clyde valley recorded 14 degrees of frost and it remained keen all day. In Glasgow, the fog was lighter, and the temperature overnight had dipped to 9 degrees below freezing but rose to near freezing during the day.

“Gourock.—Frost and fog.—In common with other coast places, Gourock awakened yesterday (Tuesday) morning to find a cold, clammy fog hanging over the district. The air was penetratingly cold, and the housetops, barely discernible at a distance of two or three yards, were covered with rime.

“The frost of the past few nights has been sufficiently severe to freeze all the sheets of water in the neighbourhood, and, should the present conditions continue, the members of Gourock Curling Club intend to have practice of “the roaring’ game” this afternoon on the pond at the Larkfleld Road.

“During last night the fog continued to descend, and this morning the whole valley of the Clyde was enveloped in one of the thickest shrouds of mist seen in these parts for some time. Railway and steamboat traffic is today completely disorganised; many of the trains from the city arrived as much as half-an-hour late. Since an early hour yesterday morning the bell at the pier has been kept constantly ringing.”—Greenock Telegraph, 17, 1909

“The Campbeltown steamer Kinloch was delayed for several hours by yesterday’s fog, and a large crowd awaited her arrival at Gourock pier.”—Greenock Telegraph, November 17, 1909

The Kinloch missed her sailing from Greenock on the morning of Tuesday the 16th, and then again on the morning of Wednesday the 17th, leaving intending passengers stranded at Greenock.

“The Campbeltown steamer Kinloch, which left Gourock at eight o’clock on Monday night, has not yet reached Glasgow, so that the only communication Campbeltown has had with the outer world this week is by the mails going the overland route via Tarbert. It was reported in Gourock this forenoon that the Kinloch had gone ashore at Langbank but the rumour lacks confirmation. Large numbers awaited the arrival of the vessel at Gourock both yesterday and to-day. Up till noon to-day the fog showed no signs of lifting.”—Greenock Telegraph, November 17, 1909

On Tuesday evening, temperatures had plunged and stayed well below freezing all day. Glasgow was more seriously affected. “In business premises artificial light was required, the tramway cars were lit up, and the unusual spectacle of the lamplighters going their rounds at noon was witnessed in some districts.” The river was closed to traffic during the day.

“River traffic suspended.—Shipping traffic was entirely suspended on the Clyde yesterday owing to the dense fog which prevailed all day, and vessels could not even be moved from one berth to another in the harbour. A number of large steamers are now lying at the Tail of the Bank while others are held up at various points on the river. The Allan liner Livonian, which put into Rothesay Dock on Monday, together with several coasting steamers, are delayed there waiting for more favourable weather conditions. The large steamer Copeland is anchored off Bowling. In Glasgow Harbour a number of vessels are ready for sea. The coasting traffic to and from the port has been completely disorganized

“Last night the fog continued to hang over the river, and at the Tail of the Bank as the night wore on it showed no signs of lifting. The two Irish boats Tiger and Wren, which came down the river in the morning and lay at the Custom House Quay during the day continued on their way in the evening, the former going to Dublin, and the latter to Belfast. No mishaps of any kind were reported.”—Glasgow Herald, November 17, 1909

The Clyde was not the only area affected.

“Glasgow steamer aground on Irish Coast.—The dense fog yesterday enveloped Lough Foyle and the river Foyle. The Glasgow steamer Hazel, due at Londonderry at six o’clock yesterday morning, ran aground between Moville and Greencastle. The Glasgow steamer Sparrow, which should have left Londonderry at half-past six, had not sailed up till late last night. The Heysham steamer Brier is also affected.”—Glasgow Herald, November 17, 1909

The Glasgow Herald, on Thursday, expressed concern for the absence of  the Campbeltown steamer.

“Campbeltown isolated.—The weather over the lower reaches of the river showed no change from the conditions of the previous day. Frost and fog still ruled, the former keener if anything, and the latter black and dense as ever. Traffic between Greenock and Glasgow therefore was still stopped so far as the water was concerned, no vessel having passed up or down since Monday night. Incoming steamers made their way with little short of ordinary regularity, but came to a standstill at the Tail of the Bank or at Greenock quays, where the discharging of cattle, goods, and passengers goes on more briskly than usual. Considerable hardship has been experienced by passengers for Campbeltown, to which there has been no sailing for a couple of days, and a number of persons have been held up at Gourock. The river steamboat service, which is somewhat attenuated at this season, is being carried on with difficulty, but disorganized to no great extent. The Grenadier left for Ardrishaig, and other steamers for down ports were sent off not much behind time. The fog was yesterday creeping farther down the firth. On Tuesday it reached to a point not far below the Cloch. Yesterday morning it was reported to have got near to the Cumbrae, outside of which it was clear. In all the districts skating and curling were general. As night advanced the fog at the Tail of the Bank grew gradually thicker, and there was no sign of it lifting. The river remained in pitch darkness.”—Glasgow Herald, November 18, 1909

At Greenock on Thursday morning, conditions were, if anything, worse. The Kinloch had still not been contacted, and the decision was made to charter a small screw steamer, Nightingale, to take the mails and other essentials as well as some passengers to Campbeltown. The Nightingale was built by Hall, Russell & Co. Ltd, of Aberdeen in 1892 as a fishing trawler but in 1899 she had been purchased by James Myles of Glasgow. She was 86½ feet long by 19 feet in breadth and had a two-cylinder steam engine delivering 40 h.p. to her single screw. Lack of accommodation at Greenock meant that she would sail from Gourock.

“The fog.—Conditions worse—Fleet of steamers at Greenock.—Passengers’ difficulty.—This morning the fog was more dense than ever. Conditions are worse. The town is covered with hoar frost and obscured in fog. The lights in shops and offices have been in general use during the past three days. The fog was so dense last night that the street lamps could only be faintly seen, and their radius of clearness was extremely short. Several incidents occurred owing to the darkness. About six o’clock, when there is usually an augmented tramcar service from Port-Glasgow, one the electric cars ran off the rails, dislocating the service for some little time.

“On the river the fog has paralysed all shipping traffic. It is estimated that over twenty vessels are hung up between the Tail-of-the-Bank and Glasgow. The large number of inward vessels which have arrived from foreign ports within the last three days have not been able to get further than Greenock, and the Customs officials and pilots have not been able carry out their regular duties owing to the severity of the weather. The cluster of steamers the Tail-of-the-Bank at present is quite unprecedented, and the fog is so dense that it is impossible to discern what vessels are included in the fog-bound fleet. At Princes Pier there is a continuous peal of the fog bell, which was kept up during the night.

“Last night Messrs MacBrayne’s steamer Claymore reached Greenock with passengers from Stornoway, but it was found impossible to berth at Princes Pier. The captain lowered the small boats, and the passengers—men, women, and children—were transferred into these small craft and rowed ashore. It was a touching scene when they landed the passengers from the North looking benumbed with the cold.

“This morning the cross-channel steamer Tiger arrived from Dublin, berthed at Princes Pier, and landed a number passengers, who proceeded to Glasgow by train. The Campbeltown steamer Kinloch is amissing and it is supposed she is somewhere on the river between here and Glasgow. A new service has had to be inaugurated, and this by the chartering of the small steamer Nightingale, which will carry the mail and passengers for Campbeltown from Gourock. Owing to the deadlock on the river some owners have issued new orders to vessels reaching the Tail-of-the-Bank and intending proceeding to Glasgow. Yesterday the steamer Clarence, with a cargo of iron ore, received orders to proceed to Ardrossan and discharge; and this morning the coasting steamer Balmarino, which was on the way to Glasgow to load when held up by the fog, was directed to proceed to Ayr.

“At Customhouse Quay matters show no improvement, the fog this morning being as dense as ever. The inward arrivals are the Gorilla from Liverpool, the Claymore from the West Highlands, and the Wren from Belfast. They proceeded no further than Greenock, navigation being still suspended on the upper reaches the river. After discharging her cargo at the Customhouse Quay, the bulk of which was trucked by Caledonian Railway for Glasgow, the steamer Rose left last night for Dublin.”—Greenock Telegraph, November 18, 1909

However, on Thursday afternoon, there was a brief period of clearing, and the Kinloch appeared out of the mirk at Greenock. The river was still closed and she never did reach Glasgow. It would appear that she had reversed her course from her anchorage off Langbank and pressed slowly down the river.

“The steamer Nightingale, which took the Kinloch’s run to Campbeltown yesterday, made a successful passage. Campbeltown was reached about four o’clock, and the steamer arrived back at Gourock shortly after midnight.”—Greenock Telegraph, November 19, 1909

“The fog on the Clyde—the missing Campbeltown steamer.—During a partial lifting of the fog yesterday afternoon the outward Campbeltown steamer Kinloch, which has been fog-bound in the river near Langbank since Monday, put in an appearance at Greenock Customhouse Quay in the afternoon. The Kinloch is the first boat down from Glasgow since Monday evening. The fog again came down thickly in the evening.”—Greenock Telegraph, November 19, 1909

“The great fog in Glasgow.—For the fourth consecutive day, Glasgow yesterday enveloped in a dense fog, while nearly 20 degrees of frost were registered. Shipping on the Clyde up to Glasgow harbour has been suspended for three days, and railway traffic is seriously handicapped. The tramway service is disorganised. At least three lives have been lost owing the fog obscuring the vision.”—Greenock Telegraph, November 19, 1909

“Campbeltown service resumed.—Communication with Campbeltown was resumed yesterday morning, the steamer Nightingale taking up the run of the Kinloch, which yesterday evening came down to Greenock from Langbank, where she was fixed from Monday. The Kinloch is thus the first boat to make the passage down the river during the fog. She proceeded to Gourock, and will sail for Campbeltown this morning. The Nightingale arrived at Gourock at half-past four yesterday morning, having a dozen “commercials” and other passengers on board. She took some goods and outward passengers, and left again for Campbeltown about noon. Meanwhile parties of delayed passengers had joined the Grenadier for Tarbert, having arranged to travel by motor car thence to Campbeltown.”—Glasgow Herald, November 19, 1909

On Friday, conditions began to improve, and Kinloch sailed in the morning from Gourock close to scheduled time.

As a momento of the week when Kinloch was lost in fog, the postcard above was issued by a local publisher in Campbeltown.

Incidentally, Neil Munro refers to the incident in the Para Handy story titled “Fog,” where the crew of the Vital Spark are discussing a newspaper article at Tarbert Quay. “The Campbeltown boat iss lost since Setturday, and they’re lookin’ for her wi’ lanterns up and doon the river. I hope she hasna many passengers; the poor sowls ’ll be stervin’.”