HISTORIC FERRIES
The predecessors of today’s CalMac ferries are fondly remembered icons of days when the waters of the Clyde and Hebrides bustled with maritime traffic. Donald Reid explores a rich history now fading from memory
PS Waverley
WHEN SEAWAYS F
or all the timeless beauty of the rugged, ragged western coast of Scotland, it’s a scene that has changed profoundly in just a couple of generations. What has gone from the seascapes of Scotland is traffic. For at least 100 years before – and some 20 years after – World War Two, these coastal waters were busy with craft of all sizes, styles and endeavours: fishing smacks, puffers, barges, cargo boats, warships, yachts, famous liners built in the Clydeside shipyards, the daily Dublin and Belfast overnight ferries and, most distinctively, passenger steamers. Such activity is a distant notion for today’s ferry passenger, with relatively unpopulated seas on view and only occasional sightings of vessels other than fishing or leisure craft. Yet within living memory in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, steamers plied regular routes from all around the Firth of Clyde and its finger lochs to the main railheads at Gourock and Helensburgh, as well as right into the Broomielaw dock in the heart of Glasgow. Coastal settlements such as Arrochar, Tighnabruaich, Lochgoilhead, Blackwaterfoot and Ardrishaig were well known from timetable
18 The Guide to Scotland’s Islands
lists and shouted destination announcements, and their most familiar aspect was their seaward front as viewed over the rail of arriving or departing steamers. As the primary transport link, the coastal traffic reflected the realities of life: used not just by holidaymakers but by city workers, school children, tradesfolk and salespeople, carrying goods, post and cargoes as varied as building materials and livestock. In addition to their morning and evening commuter runs, a number of steamers would offer pleasure cruises in the summer months which were principally aimed at residents of the dense, industrial suburbs of Greater Glasgow. These outings ‘Doon the Watter’ offered an escape into the fresh air, green scenery and open spaces just a couple of hours away up fjord-like Loch Long, the verdant Kyles of Bute or towards the shimmering peaks of Arran. Turbine and paddle-steamers such as Jupiter, Columba, Queen Mary, King George V and Jeanie Deans, along with their liveries, routes and timetables, were an entrenched part of the daily narrative of life. Posters advertised excursions
