A Colorful Interlude (II)

on Sep 3, 2025

Messrs MacBrayne provided a lifeline to the communities of the western highlands and islands. In addition to the Royal Route by swift steamers the larger vessels sailing from the Clyde round the Mull of Kintyre brought passengers and goods to villages and lodges around the coast. Cavalier at Custom House Quay, Greenock. Cavalier dated from 1883 and was built to the maximum length fitting the locks on the Caledonian Canal for the service to Inverness. Astern of her is the Islay of 1872. She was built as Princess Louise for the Stranraer to Larne service, and in 1890, was acquired by Messrs MacBrayne, and renamed Islay. She sailed from Glasgow round the Mull of Kintyre to her namesake island. In 1902, she ran aground at Port Ellen. Approaching the pier is Messrs Campbell’s Meg Merrilies. Cavalier on the Caledonian Canal. Sailing round the Mull of Kintyre was not without its dangers....

A Colourful Interlude (I)

on Sep 1, 2025

This summer I began rescanning my collection of glass slides and negatives. They are heavy and it would seem that a good digital record might be the best means of preservation. Many show the signs of the fungus that is their bane and required restoration. Although my focus has always been on black and white photographs that I convert to sepia as I find it provides a more pleasing way of capturing detail, I also began to play with colouring software. The high resolution of the slides and negatives (roughly x5 what I can post on this site) makes them good candidates for colourisation. I use an older version of photoshop that I frequently use to set the colours of the background and use the painting palette for the detail, keeping the opacity low to preserve shading in the original photograph. It is an exercise in colouring between the lines for the most part and quite straightforward. I...

Colour in the Highlands and Islands

on Aug 1, 2025

One of the most viewed articles on this site is “Colour on the Clyde” where a collection of coloured postcards of the steamers in Edwardian times are presented in more or less chronological order. A similar treatment might be possible for the steamers of the West Highlands and Islands. However, the material is much more scarce, and the general quality of the postcards is not as good as that for the Clyde, with less focus on steamers, and rather more on their surroundings. Some of the best material is published in Ian M‘Crorie’s book, “Steamers of the Highlands and Islands”, published by Orr, Pollock, & Co., Ltd., Greenock in 1987. This article will duplicate some of the material from that book but sourced exclusively from my own collection. No attempt will be made to produce a chronological order, and the best way to present the material focuses on the different routes on which the...

Coals to Cowal

on Feb 1, 2024

One of my favourite old postcard views shows the Royal Marine Hotel in Hunter’s Quay. The Hotel was built in 1890 to the design of the Glasgow Architect, Thomas Lennox Watson, and replaced an earlier hotel that was destroyed by fire. It received its “Royal” designation because it was the home of the Royal Clyde Yacht Club for many years. The photograph from which the postcard was printed was taken by Messrs Poulton in the 1890s. Their negative stock was purchased by Messrs Ritchie of Edinburgh and released as postcards as part of their “Reliable Series.” Poulton collotype of the above view Of particular interest are the two old steam lighters, Effort and Advance, on the beach. Both are of the old style and steered by tiller, rather than having a wheel. The Effort looks the simpler and older of the two. Indeed, she was launched by Messrs William Swan & Son at Kelvindock on the Forth...

Dr James Stevenson

on Dec 1, 2023

I enjoy finding sources of the impact of the steamboats on the Clyde that others might overlook. One such is the “Salt-Water Gazette,” a literary and satirical publication that lasted a season in 1835. In one issue there is the tale of Mr. John Guy, porter at Helensburgh Quay, and his journey by steamboat to Glasgow. A contemporary view of Helensburgh Quay is shown above, courtesy of Helensburgh Library. After spending some time on deck, Mr Guy was beckoned “down into the little chamber, built by the proprietor, Doctor Stevenson, for the refreshment of pilgrims.” Here is the name of the steam-boat owner, and the implication is that he was widely known in his day by the traveling public. A little research reveals that Dr. James Stevenson was a Royal Navy surgeon and the 1841 Census has him living in Clyde Street, Helensburgh, aged 50 years with his wife Elizabeth 45 along with a maid...

Early days at Largs

on Nov 1, 2023

Even before the steam-boat age, the village of Largs was a popular summer destination for sea-bathers and pleasure seekers. Sheltered from the prevailing winds by the Isle of Cumbrae, the climate was mild. The good folk of Paisley found it particularly attractive, and the advent of the steamboat meant that a tedious journey under sail or uncomfortable progression by road could be avoided. The old part of the town was built up north of the Gogo burn and by the time that steamboats arrived, new building was beginning south of the burn, including the celebrated Curling Hall. The first steamboat advertised to call off Largs was the Glasgow. Built of wood towards the end 1813, by Messrs John Wood of Port Glasgow, she was 67 feet in length. Her first engines were furnished by Henry Bell and were constructed by Messrs Anderson & Campbell of Greenock, but were not a success when she...