In the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, the sea-front at Rothesay presented an imposing vista, with the pier, the well laid-out promenade, and the handsome row of hotels. Visitors had a wide range of accommodation; from rented villas, to the hotels and the numerous boarding houses around the bay, to cheaper rented flats and rented rooms in the town.

A previous post looked at the development of Rothesay Harbour and the ways of dating photographs of the town. This, and the following short articles will view the town, mainly from the point of view of the visitor.

I recall reading in Cameron Sommerville’s marvelous little book, “Colour on the Clyde,” the description of the visitor’s day, from the point of view of the heyday steamers in the late Victorian and Edwardian years. The early morning steamers were mainly those leaving for the railway piers, with those with business on the mainland and with businessmen, especially on Monday mornings, after their weekend visit to their families. The first arrival would be a tug with the morning papers, and then around ten o’clock, the steamers for the various tours would arrive; the Columba for Ardrishaig, the Lord of the Isles and later the King Edward for Inveraray, the Queen Alexandra for Campbeltown, and the Ivanhoe, and later the Jupiter and Duchess of Rothesay for Arran. The twelve o’clock steamers from the railway piers and the all-the-way steamers from the Broomielaw brought the main host of visitors to the town. Some of these would offer tours to the Kyles of Bute, or Round Bute, some would return with holiday makers, and others with a later departure would anchor at the buoys in the bay.

In the afternoon, the tour steamers returned; the Columba at half-past three and the Lord of the Isles two hours later. Then the flurry of steamers from the railway piers arrived, bringing home those who had left for business in the early morning steamers.

This young lad is bored waiting on the Columba to arrive at 10 o’clock on a summer morning in 1894. He has found a gangway and engaged in the age-old game of rocking from end to end. His elder sister is looking after him and is sitting on a bollard with her foot on the gangway. They are well dressed and will likely join one of the steamers for a sail. Two adults have stymied his little game by perching on the gangway.

Arran bound Glasgow & South-Western Jupiter in 1912 approaches the pier with Duchess of Montrose at the western end. It is 10 o’clock

A few minutes later, Duchess of Montrose departs

Crowds on the pier greeting Columba

The arrival of Columba at Rothesay at 10:15 on a summer morning in the 1890s. Passengers who are remaining at Rothesay are disembarking. The crew of Columba carry trunks and hampers to the pier

Those traveling to the Ardrishaig are making their way on board

The tourist steamers departing around 1890. Columba and the Lord of the Isles of 1877 start off from Rothesay Pier in their daily race for the Kyles.

Columba at the pier with King Edward approaching

In 1891, a new Lord of the Isles was introduced on the Inveraray route. At first her bow was open like her predecessor but within a few years, her promenade deck was extended to the bow

Lord of the Isles at the pier

In 1903, Lord of the Isles had the turbine King Edward as her competitor on the route to Inveraray, and after a few years, she was sold to Turbine Steamers, and thereafter engaged in a Round Bute cruise.

A flurry of funnels at Rothesay in the 1890s. The Caledonian Steam Packet Co’s Galatea at the pier before it was extended westwards in 1897. There is a North British steamer berthed outside Galatea revealing how crowded the pier had become and the need for more frontage. One of the Glasgow & South-Western steamers is berthed to the east.

Children enjoying themselves on the loading slip at the pier.

Caledonian Marchioness of Breadalbane disgorging passengers from Wemyss Bay onto the pier

The Glasgow & South-Western Mercury loading at the east berth on her way from Greenock to the Kyles of Bute

Loading a fish box onto Mercury

An arrival from Craigendoran

Ivanhoe arriving for Turbine Steamers at the pier at 1:50 in the afternoon

A Caledonian Duchess sits at the pier. It is 2:15 

Buchanan steamer Isle of Cumbrae getting ready to leave the pier to return up river at 2:30

Caledonian steamer Marchioness of Lorne at the pier

A corner of Rothesay Pier before the extension

A Caledonian Duchess moving from the end of the pier

Heather Jock trying to sell his wares to tourists on a Caledonian Duchess at the pier in the 1890s

Heather Jock

It is 3:15 on a Saturday afternoon and Marchioness of Bute is loading for her afternoon departure for Gourock at 3:40. One of Messrs Buchanan’s steamers is at the east end of the pier.

The afternoon return of Columba from Ardrishaig at 3:30

Columba at the end of the pier before extension in the 1890s. The white jackets of porters stand out from the crowd

Columba arriving around 1914. Ivanhoe is making ready to return up river at the end of the extended pier. Isle of Arran and a Caledonian Marchioness are at the pier

Crowds on the pier meeting Columba on her homeward journey

Columba at the pier in the afternoon around 1900

Mercury again, on the evening express from Greenock for Kames

Lord of the Isles returning from Inveraray