For many years, sailings from Glasgow to the West Highland and Islands was carried out by the steamers of John M‘Callum & Co., and Martin Orme & Co. Perhaps the most famous was the Dunara Castle, owned by Martin Orme & Co. Built by the yard of Blackwood and Gordon at Port Glasgow in 1875, she originally sported two-funnels but was reboilered in 1894 and emerged with a single red colored funnel. She was 180 ft long. Sailing on a weekly roster that alternated with the Outer Hebrides on one week and the Inner Hebrides on the other, she was well liked on the service carrying both passengers and cargo.
Dunara Castle
Dunara Castle was popular for cruising and these would reach as far as the remote St. Kilda, and she took part in the evacuation of St. Kilda in 1930.
Two-funneled Dunara Castle at Tarbert, Harris (Washington Wilson)
Dunara Castle
Dunara Castle at Lochskipport
Dunara Castle at Bunessan
Bunessan from Dunara Casle
On board Dunara Castle, 1924
Dunara Castle, company postcard
Dunara Castle
In August 1922, Dunara Castle ran aground at Battery Point, Greenock, but was refloated and resumed her service.
Dunara Castle aground at Greenock
Dunara Castle off Yoker
Dunara Castle at Carbost, Skye
Dunara Castle at Tarbert, Harris
Dunara Castle at Tarbert, Harris in 1939 (Valentine)
Dunara Castle on a gloomy day at St Kilda
Passengers from Dunara Castle at St Kilda
At Scarinish Pier
Mitchell’s cigarette card of Dunara Castle
The Hebrides, owned by John M‘Callum & Co., was built by Ailsa Shipbuilding Co. Ltd in 1898. Like an earlier vessel for the Company, the 1881 Rutherglen built Hebridean, she was designed by the noted yacht designer, G. L Watson, and was similar in size to Dunara Castle and like her had a red funnel color.
Hebridean at Dunvegan
MacBrayne’s Ethel from a stereo view, bound for the Hebrides
Hebrides and Dunara Castle sailed from Kingston Dock and from the start were scheduled to avoid competing on their service.
Hebrides off Scotstoun (Robertson, Glasgow)
Hebrides
Hebrides at Tarbert, Harris
Hebrides at Lochboisdale
Loading at Lochboisdale under the watchful eye of the policeman
Hebrides and barrels of Talisker whisky at Carbost, Skye
At Castlebay Pier
Hebrides at Castlebay, Barra
On board Hebrides in the 1920s
Captain John MacKinnon on the bridge of the Hebrides
Piper on the Hebrides
On board Hebrides
A breezy day off Skye in June 1928
Hebrides at Lochskipport
Captain M‘Millan on Hebrides (with Rita)
Hebrides at Coll
Hebrides at Coll pier
At Coll
At Colonsay
Hebrides at Port Askaig
At Port Askaig
Hebrides at Locheport
The ferryboat at Locheport
Hebrides
Hebrides on the Clyde
In 1929, the two companies were amalgamated to become McCallum, Orme & Co. In November, 1947, the ships were subsumed into the fleet of David MacBrayne, Ltd., and Dunara Castle was laid up in January 1948 and subsequently went to the breakers yard in Port Glasgow. Hebrides soldiered on for a few more years but was also broken up at Port Glasgow in 1955.
Mitchell’s cigarette card of Hebrides
Cruise brochure advertising cover
Donald E. Meek, “From the Clyde to St Kilda,” Ferry Publications, 2020.
James Mackay, “The St Kilda Steamers,” Tempus, Stroud, 2006.
Donald E. Meek, “Steamships to St Kilda,” The Islands Book Trust, Kershader, Lewis, 2010.
October 1, 2016
I was so hoping that you would do a piece like this!! Its absolutely fantastic. long may you continue to this wonderful work.
Thank so much.
Willy MacDonald.
October 13, 2016
Is this possibly the ‘unidentified steamer’ you posted?
http://mcleanmuseum.pastperfectonline.com/photo/2EEAEB77-3844-4ED9-9473-111235559759
Masts, derricks, small deckhouse by mainmast, what looks like 3 lifeboats, seem similar to the cargo ship in the Greenock photograph.
October 14, 2016
Douglas: Thank-you for the suggestion. It is certainly a similar sort of build. There is a small deckhouse aft on the steamship photograph I posted but that may have been added at a different time. Do you have any any ideas on the identity of the steamship off Greenock? It has the look of the Minard Castle. The photograph I posted came from an old stereoview with no identification. I had thought it might be Hebridean but was not convinced. Graham
October 29, 2016
On closer examination, I’d agree that the steamship off Greenock is Minard Castle.
The unidentified steamer is MacBrayne’s Ethel. There is a photograph of Ethel from a similar angle in Alistair Deayton’s book MacBrayne Steamers. Ethel shares similar features to the steamship in your picture; unequal sized boats at the rear of the small steamer, small deckhouse and lifebelts on the deck railing behind the lifeboats.
Ethel also is in one of George Washington Wilson’s Broomielaw photographs at the McLean museum.In the photograph she is misidentified as Staffa II.
October 29, 2016
Wow Douglas. I agree with you completely. Ethel is not well represented in photographs and I found one of her in an old stereo view of Loch Lochy. She was one of the possibilities I had for the steamer I could not identify and will now confirm the identity. Thank you so much. Graham
October 30, 2016
Thanks. From my understanding Ethel was mostly on MacBrayne’s Glasgow-Inverness service. I think the photograph is taken on Loch Oich, the geography is very similar to some of the photographs you have of Loch Ness steamers on Loch Oich. For accuracy, perhaps the caption should be ‘Bound for the highlands’ rather than ‘Bound for the Hebrides’? Doug
October 30, 2016
Doug. I agree. The shingle bank is likely at the southern end of Loch Oich. I could remove it but then again, the comment section would not make sense so I’ll leave as is. I really appreciate the to and fro of discussions like this. Must get some more of my mystery photographs in my articles! Graham
August 11, 2019
I have recently been going through my father’s papers and I have found archival material from 1935. A poster showing details of ‘Hebrides’ and ‘Dunara Castle’ at Greenock. Also a passenger list from a T. Steam Ship in 1938. I would like them to go to archives somewhere but I have no idea who would be interested.
If someone could give me an address I would be prepared to send them on. Thank you.
June 12, 2020
Hello Sheila
My name is Jean Lock and my grandfather was Captain Donald Clark of the Dunara Castle and I think he was also on the Hebrides. If you had a copy of the crew I would love to see it . Thanks Jean
July 23, 2020
Hello, Jean! I have just completed a fairly large study of McCallun and Orme, due to be published shortly, in which Captain Clark is fondly remembered. I also have a photograph which I think may show Captain Clark relaxing on a deck chair on the ‘Dunara’. Could you contact me at dem.meek@btinternet.com
Thank you. Donald
February 28, 2021
Hello Donal
My Grandfather was Captain Donald Clark’s brother. I would be really interested in any information you have on him. Best wishes Morag
February 28, 2021
Hi Jean
My Grandfather was Captain Donald Clark’s brother, Dugie Clark who lived on Colonsay. I would be really interested in hearing from you. Best wishes Morag
March 1, 2021
Hi Morag I remember your grandfather although I was very small at the time. We lived with granny and grandpa Clark at 83 Hill Street Glasgow until I was 5 with my brothers Robert 6 and Donald 2. I remember visiting Colonsay and being at the hotel with grandpa’s sisters. Are you a sister of Gavin Clark of the Colonsay Pantry. Kind regards Jean
January 21, 2023
Hello Jean. I am trying to find relatives of an Iain Clark whose father was I think called Donald Clark. I have explored all sorts of leads and came to this website and your post. I believe Iain (if I have found the correct person) died in 2019 in Glasgow. Iain’s father worked on the Hebrides, eventually married the Captain’s daughter, a Mary Flora MacKinnon and also worked for the Northern Lighthouse Service in the 1940s. Does this sound like anyone in your family? If you do see this and could email me that would be really helpful. Jane Metcalfe collhistorysociety@gmail.com
March 7, 2021
Hi, I was born, bred, and worked in Glasgow for many years and moved to the Highlands 40 years ago. I have reached that age when you look back and wonder where the years went. I started looking at shipbuilding on the Clyde then and now. Then was, the best in the world. Now is, what shipbuilding ?
This took me onto Glasgow then and now, and even the new multi story flats when I lived there have been demolished. Such changes that when I go to Glasgow I wander about like a tourist. I still have family in Glasgow and they keep me right. I would not like to drive in Glasgow now.
In my searches I found your website and I have never found a more comprehensive and helpful site. I kept a boat in, and almost bought a Puffer in Bowling Basin 40 odd years ago but at the time it was to far gone. I cannot for the life of me remember its name. I have owned many boats since ending up with a 37 foot converted lifeboat which my wife and I shared many holidays with. ( I once thought I saw Nessie, but that is another story).I also worked on a old steam tug which had been converted to diesel for 5 years. Although we don’t have a boat at all now my love for them still burns.
Anyway, this is just a wee note to thank you for the use of your website. It is, as far as I am concerned the most comprehensive, thorough and helpful site I have ever encountered.
Thank you once again.
March 7, 2021
Andrew: Thank you for your kind comments and the interesting tid-bits on your history. I suspect I learn as much from this site, putting it together as do most readers. I try to keep it simple and advert free as the web should be. Graham
September 29, 2022
My father’s second cousin (Charles MacKinnon, aka “Tearlaigh Mor”) was born on Skye. He, his father and grandfather were the skippers of the Dunara Castle, and I believe your photo of John MacKinnon portrays his father. I was able to visit Charles (from my home in the States) in 1977 on Skye, and in Inverness in 2009, shortly before his passing. He was a Master Mariner himself and had some great tales to tell of the places he had been. He never mentioned that Dunara Castle was the ship that evacuated St. Kilda, so I was very interested to learn of that. I believe that would have been during his father’s tenure as ship’s captain. Charles also was the captain of the ship, for a brief period at the end of its days. Thank you for this site, it means a lot to me!.