The steamer Gael was built for the Campbeltown & Glasgow Steam Packet Company in 1869 by Messrs Robertson & Co. of Greenock. Her early history can be found in two articles on the Company and on the Herald, the competitor that led to the introduction of the large, powerful Gael. Although originally flush-decked, a deck saloon was added to Gael in 1879, but without competition for the Campbeltown traffic, the Gael was found expensive to run and was sold to the Great Western Railway in 1884.
The Gael returned to Scottish waters when Mr. MacBrayne purchased her in 1891 as one of a number of vessels that aided the expansion of their services to the outer isles and northwest coast.
“Purchase of Greenock-built steamer. The paddle-steamer Gael, belonging to the Great Western Railway Company, has, it is stated, been purchased by Mr D. MacBrayne, who will utilise her on the outside Clyde runs. The Gael was built in Greenock, and is a vessel of 419 tons gross.”—Glasgow evening Post. May 16, 1891
In her first year, Gael was placed on the Portree and Gairloch station out of Oban and featured in an elopement.
“Romantic Highland Elopement. —A Northern contemporary is responsible for the following:—What is described as a romantic elopement is reported from the West coast of Ross. It appears that Inland Revenue officer well known in the district had become enamoured of young lady, the daughter of an E.C. minister, who reciprocated the young man’s affection. On Sabbath evening, the 30th August, or early on Monday morning, the ardent couple escaped unobserved, with the aid of another trusty Exciseman. The exit of the lady from the paternal roof was made from a back window. A boat, ready for the purpose, awaited the lovers to convey them on board a fishing cutter, very appropriately named the Dream. A pleasant sail in the early morning along the rugged coast brought the party to point where advantage was taken of the more luxurious mode of conveyance afforded by the steamer Gael. By this vessel the lovers were conveyed Oban. Here marriage by special licence united the loving hearts; and, though we cannot end the tale with the ringing of wedding bells, we have the assurance that the hero and heroine are now enjoying themselves in the Irish home of the courageous Exciseman.”—Aberdeen Press and Journal, September 16, 1891
Early in January Gael was held up at Portree for three days by a storm and could not set out for Strome ferry.
Early in 1892, she was re-boilered and her saloon accommodation was expanded to the full width of the hull and her aft cargo hold and main-mast were removed to bring her up the internal standard of the remainder of the MacBrayne fleet. The whaleback that had been introduced when she was a railway steamer sailing to the Scilly Isles was also removed.
Gael as modified in 1892
“Mr MacBrayne’s steamer Gael is at present undergoing very extensive alterations and improvements. She has been supplied with new boilers and improved machinery, and is expected to steam fast. A new saloon similar to that of the Grenadier is being fitted up, so that the Gael will be a most comfortable and able steamer for the route between Oban, Loch Scavaig, Skye, and Gairloch (Ross-shire). This is one of the grandest, if not the very grandest, tour over Mr MacBrayne’s entire system.”—Glasgow Herald, May 30, 1892
“MacBrayne’s summer tours.—The “season” in the West Highlands practically only begins with the opening of Mr David MacBrayne’s Royal Route on Monday first, when the swift steamers start in connection with the Crinan and Caledonian Canal for Oban, Fort-William, and Inverness. On the same day the circular tours, so popular and cheap a feature of this company’s enterprise, come into force. On Wednesday next the Grenadier begins her regular runs from Oban to the romantic shores of Staffa and Iona, and on the 1st June the Loch-Awe route by Ardrishaig will be open. The fast steamer Gael to Skye, and Gairloch, Ross-shire, will not take the running before the 17th of June; about the same date the Columba will go upon the Ardrishaig morning sail, allowing the Iona to be transferred to the afternoon run. The 36 steamers which now comprise Mr MacBrayne’s fleet were never in better condition than present. Opportunity was taken during the winter to completely overhaul and re-decorate most of the vessels, and they now take up their stations in a spick-and-span condition. It is interesting to note that a new guide book to Summer Tours in Scotland has been published this year. It is to some extent on the lines of its predecessors, but has been re-written, enlarged, and improved in every way. The usual chromo-lithographs have given place to very beautiful process reproductions of photographs of such scenes in the West Highlands as are accessible by the steamers, and very convenient new sectional maps are incorporated in the book, which, even to the reader “in the City pent,” with no immediate prospect of its practical usefulness, is wonderfully interesting.”—Glasgow Evening Post, May 20, 1893
Gael on the Clyde
“Accident to the Steamers Gael and Lochiel.— Owing to the strong northerly winds that prevailed last week, there was a heavy sea running in the Minch, and the Sound of Raasay was very rough. On Saturday evening the s.s. Gael, from Oban, left Portee for Gairloch as usual, but she put back in a short time somewhat damaged. When in the Sound of Raasay she shipped a heavy sea, which broke the partition on deck separating the fore part of the vessel from the machinery. She lay in Portree all night, and proceded to Gairloch on Sunday morning. News reached Portree Saturday night that Mr MacBrayne steamer Lochiel, which runs between Portree, Harris, North Uist, and Dunvegan, sprung leak when off Harris, and she had to beached at Rodel.”—Inverness Courier, September 29, 1893
Gael broke a piston-rod in 1893, one of the few times in which the steamers let the company down.
“Accident to the steamer Gael. Shortly after one o’clock on Monday morning, the steamer Gael was emerging from the Sound of Mull and had just passed Ruya Gall Lighthouse, a mile from Tobermory, her paddles were seen suddenly to stop and her anchor thrown out. It was conjectured that her boiler had burst; but the damage was confined to the breaking of her piston-rod, and fortunately no one was injured. The Gael had just made her call at Tobermory. After the steamer had lain at anchor for an hour and a half, the Clansman, which was her outward run to Stornoway, hove in sight, and took her in tow back to Tobermory, where she will remain till another steamer comes to bring her to Glasgow for repairs. The passengers, mails, and luggage for Gairloch and intermediate ports were transferred to the Clansman without delay, and forwarded to their several destinations. New boilers and engines were put into the Gael two years ago, and a whaleback which the former owner had put on her for safety while trading across the English Channel was removed.”—Greenock Telegraph, September 27, 1893
Gael at Portree (Valentine)
“The Royal Route to the Highlands.—The Royal Mail steamer Columba will take up her usual run to Ardrishaig to-morrow morning, and on Monday the full daily sailings of Mr MacBravne’s steamers will be begun, including the daily boat to Staffa and Iona and the steamer Gael for Skye and Gairloch. On the following Saturday the Iona resumes her afternoon run to Ardrishaig, returning from there in the morning, and thus giving a double service each way.”—Glasgow Herald, June 14, 1895
The Gairloch passengers could complete a tour by sailing on the little steamer, Mabel, on Loch Maree, and connecting by coach at Achnasheen. The Mabel was built by Messrs T. B. Seath in 1883 for the Loch Maree Hotel, and was taken over by Messrs MacBrayne in May of 1887. She was just 45 feet long by 10 feet in breadth and 30 tons.
Mabel at Tollie Pier, Loch Maree in 1902 (Valentine)
“Weather and Tourist Season. —The weather has got very mild and warm within the last few days, and crops look remarkably well for the season the year. Tourists are already taking advantage of the improved weather conditions, a considerable number having visited Gairloch and Loch Maree daring the past week, the majority journeying the swift steamer Gael, while others preferred the coach journey from Achnasheen, and the Mabel on Loch Maree.”—Ross-shire Journal, June 12, 1896
In 1897, the Skye and Gairloch route could be accessed from the new railhead at Kyle of Lochalsh, and a few years later, in 1901, the new railhead at Mallaig was opened.
In the early years of the new century, Gael was given an overhaul and reappeared with a built-up forecastle. This would allow her more versatility in the number of routes on which she could be used.
Gael approaching Mallaig
In 1903 when the Columba was facing competition on the Ardrishaig station from the new turbine steamer King Edward, Grenadier was retained on the Clyde. This left a gap on the sacred isles tour to Staffa and Iona and Gael was placed on the route.
Gael at Iona in 1903 (Stengel)
Afterwards Gael returned for the most part to maintain her Portree and Gairloch service. However, she was used on sailings as diverse as those to Stornoway.
Gael off Gourock (Robertson)
During the first world war, Gael was laid up at Bowling but was brought into service on the Clyde when the fleet was taken for minesweeping. She served on the Ardrossan to Arran station for a time. After the armistice she returned to the west highlands and was equipped with a mainmast in 1922. However, in May 1924 she was sold to the breakers.
Duckworth, C. L. D.; Langmuir, G. E., “West Highland Steamers,” Brown, Son & Ferguson, Glasgow, 1987.