The Glasgow Herald of Friday April 13, 1866 contained the following article:

“Launch of the Chevalier.—Yesterday, there was launched from the ship-yard of Messrs. J. & G. Thomson, at Govan, a handsome paddle saloon steamer, named the Chevalier, for Messrs. David Hutcheson & Co.’s swift-line of West Highland steamers. The Chevalier is of 500 tons and 150 horsepower. She will be elegantly fitted up in similar style to the Iona of the same line, with commodious saloon on deck, dining saloon, &c. Her station will be betwixt Crinan and Corpach, in connection with the Iona on the Ardrishaig side, and a new saloon steamer building by Messrs. Thomson, to be called the Gondolier, on the other or Banavie side of the line. Thus this magnificent route will be amply and admirably supplied during the coming season. With a service of handsome saloon steamers, to which will be added, in lieu of the track-boat on the Crinan Canal, a smart double screw steamer for the transport of passengers and luggage.”

Chevalier (Robertson)

Chevalier with an “end of season” look flying bunting in Queen’s Dock

Messrs. David Hutcheson & Co. had made a good investment with the Iona and this new tonnage was designed to complement their flagship and bring their premier service up to date. The remarkable improvements to the sailings on the “Royal Route” were welcomed by the increasing numbers of tourists who were able to enjoy the beauties of the West Highlands. Launched on Thursday, April 12th, the new steamer was a scaled down version of the very successful Iona. She was 211 ft long and just over 22 ft in breadth. Her engines, like those of Iona were of the oscillating type and fed by two horizontal boilers.

The Glasgow Herald of Saturday June 23, 1866, noted her departure for Crinan and she entered service shortly thereafter.

“The Royal Route to the Highlands.—Yesterday the beautiful new saloon steamer Chevalier left the river for Crinan, where she will be employed conveying passengers to Oban, &c., in connection with Messrs. Hutcheson & Co.’s magnificent line of vessels from Glasgow to Inverness. The steamers on this route are of the most comfortable description, and include the Iona, Chevalier, Mountaineer, and Pioneer, together with magnificently fitted up steam vessels for the Crinan and Caledonian Canals. The comfort of excursionists, in fact, have this season been provided for on a scale of unprecedented completeness.”

The Chevalier’s day began with an early morning start from Corpach where she had berthed overnight, calling at Fort William, Coran, Ardgour, Ballachulish, Appin, Airds Pier and Oban from where she left for Easdale, Luing and Crinan. At Crinan her passengers transferred to the passage through the Crinan Canal to Ardrishaig where they would join the Iona for the sail down Loch Fyne and through the Kyles back to Glasgow.

Chevalier leaving Oban

Chevalier arriving at Easdale around 1910

Chevalier leaving Easdale

Passing Flada lighthouse

At Blackmill Bay on Luing in the 1880s (Washington Wilson)

Arriving at Crinan around 1906 (Valentine)

Arriving at Crinan in 1913 (Valentine)

Passengers heading for Linnet in the early 1890s (Valentine)

Linnet sets off for Ardrishaig

Meanwhile Chevalier waited for passengers from the Iona who arrived on the return trip along the Crinan Canal before sailing to Oban and Corpach. This break in the middle of the day gave the crew plenty of time to clean the ship and keep up the standards that were so important for the tourist trade.

Chevalier at Crinan around 1900

Chevalier waiting at Crinan (Castle)

Boarding Chevalier at Crinan

“The bell for dinner for Cabin passengers generally is rung immediately after the steamer starts from Crinan Pier. Making her way down Loch Crinan and past the entrance to Loch Craignish, Chevalier passes the point of Craignish where the strong tidal currents of the Dorus Mor sealed the fate of the Comet in 1820. Craignish Castle can be seen and the first pier at Craignish is reached. After leaving the pier, to the west can be seen the whirlpool of Corryvrechan between Jura and Scarba and the steamer then makes her way past the Isle of Shuna, inshore to the east. Around the southern point of Luing, the Sound of Luing is entered, and the passage is sheltered from the Atlantic by Scarba and Lunga to the west. Soon the pier of Blackmill Bay is reached. Leaving the shelter of the Sound, the Isles of the Sea can be seen to the west and the heavy swells of the Atlantic and fully experienced before entering Easdale harbour and approaching the pier. In some states of the weather and tides, the Easdale call is not possible. From Easdale, the steamer rounds the northern point of Seil, passing the mouth of Loch Feochan before entering the sheltered Sound of Kerrera and Oban Bay.”

Approaching Easdale from the South around 1903

Chevalier arriving at Oban around 1900. One of Langlands Steamers in the background 

Chevalier’s first year brought to the fore one of the hazards of the early morning start, fog. The Herald of Monday July 5, 1866 reported:

On Friday night the river steamer Iona did not arrive till about 9 o’clock, owing to the detention of the steamer Chevalier on the passage betwixt Oban and Crinan; while the North Highland steamer Clydesdale was likewise detained several hours through dense fog being encountered near the Mull.

And on Tuesday July 17, 1866:

Detention in Fog.—Yesterday morning, the steamer Chevalier, which plies between Corpach and Crinan, was detained at Ballachulish Pier for nearly and hour and a half by a fog on Loch Linnhe. The Iona in consequence did not reach Glasgow in the evening till after nine o’clock.

We understand that during these Fair holidays an unusually large number of Glasgow people have taken advantage of the facilities now afforded for reaching the West Highlands, and have made their way as far as Ballachulish.

A view of Chevalier at Oban with Pioneer blowing off steam around 1870

At Oban tourists could undertake a number of tours, to Glen Coe, by way of Ballachulish, to Skye and Gairloch by the Sound of Mull, to Iona and Staffa, and they could continue on the “Royal Route” to Corpach and through the Caledonian Canal to Inverness.

Deck view of Chevalier courtesy of John A Cameron 

At the end of the tourist season, Chevalier returned to the Clyde for her winter lay up though she took her turn on the Ardrishaig mail service from time to time.

Chevalier was reboilered in 1886, and again in 1901 when her horizontal boilers were replaced by haystack boilers. This resulted in a minor change to her external appearance.

Chevalier late in the 1920s (Robertson)

Between 1913 and 1914, Chevalier spent some time sailing with the mails to Lochgoilhead.

Chevalier during her time as the Lochgoilhead mail boat (Ritchie)

She stayed on the Clyde during World War 1 and was chartered for a time by the Caledonian Steam Packet Co., sailing out of Wemyss Bay. She also visited Wemyss Bay on at least one occasion in the early 1920s and was pictured there in an early aerial photograph of the Clyde.

Chevalier at Wemyss Bay around 1921

Chevalier at Wemyss Bay

After the war, Chevalier returned to her old established routes but sadly, while on the winter Ardrishaig run on 25th March, 1927, she was disabled in a gale and drifted onto Barmore Island. She was taken to Troon and surveyed but the damage meant that she was declared a total loss and she was scrapped.

Chevalier with Fusilier at Oban

Chevalier aground on Barmore Island

Chevalier aground on Barmore Island