CHAPTER XV

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MR. DAVID MACBRAYNE’S WEST HIGHLAND STEAMERS.

In the early part of last century Messrs. Thomson and MacConnell, of Glasgow, held a large financial interest in several of the steampackets then plying on the River and Firth of Clyde. One of the earliest of these steamers in which they were interested was the BRITANNIA, built about two years after Bell’s COMET. The citizens of Glasgow were quick to avail themselves of the advantages of steam navigation: thus, while in 1812 the limit of steam navigation was Dunoon, in 1815 it was extended to Inverary, and in 1822 Fortwilliam, Tobermory and Skye were included in the ports of call of the steampacket HIGHLANDER.

Passengers were also carried by the same steamer to the Island of Staffa, the fare for the return passage being £3 3s.

Steam communication between Glasgow and Inverness _via_ the Crinan and Caledonian Canals was established in the spring of 1824, the pioneer vessel being a small steamer named the BEN NEVIS.

About 1830 Messrs. J. Martin and J. & G. Burns advertised the steamers INVERNESS, ROB ROY and HELEN MCGREGOR to sail regularly between the Clyde and Inverness, Skye and Stornoway. The HELEN MCGREGOR was described as having “a splendid cabin, panelled with landscapes descriptive of the scenery through which she passes.” She had upwards of 30 sleeping berths for cabin passengers, and an excellent steerage.

In 1841 the SHANDON, described as “an elegant vessel,” was placed, by the same firm, on the route now taken by the R.M.S. COLUMBA. Her passengers were carried through the Crinan Canal on track boats drawn by horses ridden by postillions in brilliant scarlet uniforms, and at Crinan were transferred to the steampacket BRENDA, which conveyed them to Oban. The latter steamer belonged to Messrs. Thomson and MacConnell, as did also the TOWARD CASTLE, MORVEN and STAFFA, and later (1846) the EDINBURGH CASTLE and MAID OF ISLAY. The two firms had been engaged in friendly competition both on the Glasgow and Liverpool trade and the Glasgow and West Highland service from the year 1831, but in 1841 an arrangement was arrived at, by which the West Highland traffic was managed conjointly.

Her late Majesty Queen Victoria visited the Highlands in 1847, and in “Leaves from the Journal of Our Life in the Highlands,” Her Majesty wrote:—

“The light on the hills was beautiful as we steamed down Loch Fyne. At five we reached Lochgilp, and all landed at Lochgilphead (Ardrishaig). We and our people drove through the village to the Crinan Canal, where we entered a most magnificently decorated barge, drawn by three horses ridden by postillions in scarlet. We glided along very smoothly, and the views of the hills—the range of Cruachan—were very fine indeed.”

To meet the requirements of an ever-increasing traffic, the elegant saloon steamer LINNET was built, which is capable of comfortably accommodating double the number of passengers that the old track boat could.

The Messrs. Burns, who prior to that date had controlled a large portion of the River Clyde and West Highland traffic, in 1851 decided to confine their energies to “deep sea” steamers, and accordingly sold off their smaller craft, and Messrs. Thomson and MacConnell parted with their steamers of the same type. These vessels were acquired, and the West Highland trade taken over, by Messrs. David Hutcheson & Co. (the company including Mr. David MacBrayne, the head of the present firm), whose address at that date was 14, Jamaica Street, Glasgow.

Messrs. Hutcheson had, previous to the purchase of the steamers referred to, five steampackets named CYGNET, LAPWING, DUNTROON CASTLE, PIONEER and DOLPHIN, so that in 1851 they controlled a fleet of about a dozen steamers. These steamers maintained a bi-weekly service (in addition to other sailings) between Glasgow and Inverness, sailing from Glasgow every Monday and Thursday, a service which has been maintained uninterruptedly for upwards of half a century. The CYGNET and LAPWING were built with their paddle boxes flush with their hulls, to enable them to pass through the Crinan Canal.

Two new steamers, the CHEVALIER and MOUNTAINEER, were added to the fleet in 1854. The following year (1855) the CLANSMAN was built for the firm. The same year the IONA (the first of the name) was built, and maintained her reputation as a “crack” Clyde steamer until 1863, when she was purchased by an agent of the Confederate States, to run the blockade during the American War. She, however, never crossed the Atlantic, being sunk, as the result of a collision, before she got clear of the upper firth.

She was promptly replaced by IONA (second of the name), launched the same year, which, after running for one season only, was also sold to run the blockade, but is supposed to have been lost with all hands off Lundy Island. The second IONA differed from her predecessors in having a saloon on deck.

Prior to her starting on her Atlantic voyage, this saloon was removed and placed on IONA the third. This steamer for many years bore the reputation of being the swiftest, as well as the most luxuriously appointed, steamer on the Firth of Clyde. The engines, which work with almost incredible smoothness, are of 1,625 horse-power, and are capable of propelling her at the rate of 18 knots per hour.

In connection with this vessel, the writer remembers a very amusing incident. Many years ago he was travelling by steamer from Liverpool to Glasgow, and in conversation a fellow-passenger stated that he had in the early part of the same summer sailed in the famous IONA from Glasgow to Ardrishaig.

“What do you think of the Kyles of Bute?” I asked.

“The Kyles of Bute,” he replied; “I never saw them.”

The subject was dropped, until a little later he again spoke of his trip to Ardrishaig.

“And what do you think of the Kyles of Bute?” I again queried.

“The Kyles of Bute; you asked me that before. I never saw them.”

“But you say you sailed to Ardrishaig in the IONA?”

“Yes.”

“Then you must have seen the Kyles—you could not possibly have gone to Ardrishaig without seeing them.”

He seemed astonished, but after a moment’s thought a bright idea struck him, and he exclaimed—

“Ah! yes, I remember now, I saw a red board with gilt letters ‘Kyles of Bute’ on it; but I didn’t go ashore—I never saw them.”

Fortunately all men are not so unobservant; and so we find tourists from Great Britain and Ireland; from Canada and the United States; from South Africa and the Antipodes, journeying to enjoy not alone the beauties of the Kyles of Bute, but also the grand and beautiful scenery of the Western Highlands, now so easy of access by the splendid steamers of the MacBrayne fleet.

In 1862 was built the first of the trio of handsome screw steamers which sail regularly round the Mull of Cantyre to Stornoway and the far North. She is named the CLYDESDALE. A larger steamer, the CLANSMAN (second of the name), was built in 1870, and one still larger, the CLAYMORE, in 1881.

Mr. David Hutcheson retired in 1876, leaving his partner, Mr. David MacBrayne, sole control of the business, which has since grown steadily, necessitating from time to time the addition of new steamers.

In 1878 the Royal Mail steamer COLUMBA was built by Messrs. J. & G. Thomson (now John Brown & Co.), of Clydebank, who were also the builders of the IONA. She is the largest passenger steamer on the Firth of Clyde, and few, if any, cross-channel steamers exceed her in length. According to the official description of her, she is 316 feet in length, 50 feet in breadth (inclusive of paddle boxes), and 9 feet in depth. She is built entirely of steel, and is fitted with two oscillating engines of 220 nominal horse-power, but capable of working up to 3,000 indicated horse-power.

Two years previously the R.M.S. COLUMBA was refitted by Messrs. Hutson & Sons, Limited, with two large tubulous boilers of the haystack type, made entirely of steel, and with twelve furnaces. When working at full pressure, she attains a speed of 22 miles per hour, and she is certified to carry over 2,000 passengers. The COLUMBA is steered by a steam steering engine, has the novelty of a set of steam bits at bow and stern by which the vessel is warped into piers, and has all the modern improvements introduced on board.

The upper saloon is very luxuriously fitted up, and in the interior are reading table, writing desk and lounges. The large square windows are carried round the sides and stern, affording a fine view of the scenery through which the steamer passes.

The breakfast and dining saloon, which is 8 feet high and well ventilated, has a series of separate circular tables, and meals are served at any time. The dining saloon (forward) for steerage or fore-cabin passengers is light and airy.

The ladies’ and gentlemen’s cabins are elegantly fitted up with the usual hand-basins and other conveniences.

There is a shampooing and hairdressing establishment, with a supply of every toilet requisite; a splendid bathroom, affording passengers who have travelled during the night the luxury of a salt-water bath, and a cloak room where they can leave hand-bags and other small articles. There are in addition a book stall and a fruit stall for cabin passengers, and for steerage passengers, a ladies’ cabin forward and several stalls (fruit stalls, &c.) are provided.

The only floating post office in the kingdom is to be found on board the COLUMBA, and in it is transacted a larger amount of business than is transacted in many a provincial town. In it letters, telegrams and parcels are received, stamped, sorted and distributed at every calling place, for transmission to all parts, and it is of immense convenience to tourists and the inhabitants along the route. Upwards of 100,000 letters pass through this office in a month, of which a large proportion are local letters passing between the coast towns and villages at which the steamer calls. Over 450 telegrams were handed in, and upward of £70 received for postage and telegraph stamps in one month. The most sanguine expectations of the Post Office Department being more than realised, has induced the Postmaster-General to add to the staff. Three post office officials travel with the COLUMBA. Postal orders can be purchased, and those issued at other offices in the kingdom cashed on board this steamer.

[Illustration: R.M.S. COLUMBA. David MacBrayne.]

In 1902 Mr. David MacBrayne assumed as partners his two sons, Mr. David Hope, and Mr. Laurence MacBrayne, the name of the firm remaining unchanged.

Messrs. MacBrayne’s steamers navigate every sound and loch between Port Ellen in the Island of Islay, off the South-west coast of Scotland, and Thurso in the extreme North, and visit almost every island between those two points.

The new steamer LAPWING, built in the early part of the year 1903, proved very successful, and the firm have in course of construction another fine steamer, which is expected to be ready for the service early next year (1904). The fleet at present consists of thirty-one screw and paddle steamships, named as follows:—

Horse Speed. Power. Knots. COLUMBA 3000 19 IONA 1625 18 FUSILIER 900 15 GRENADIER 1050 16 CHEVALIER 1200 16 GONDOLIER 600 12 CARABINIER 400 12 MOUNTAINEER 500 15 GAEL 1500 16 GLENGARRY 350 12 GLENCOE 700 12 GAIRLOCHY 500 12 LOVEDALE 1200 14 LOCHAWE 95 12 LOCHNESS 420 12 CLAYMORE 1450 15 CLANSMAN 1250 14 CLYDESDALE 1000 13 CAVALIER 1200 12 FLOWERDALE 1200 13 GLENDALE 1400 15 STAFFA 350 12 HANDA 250 11 ETHEL 375 11 FINGAL 325 11 LOCHIEL 410 12 LINNET 45 10 MABEL 35 10 TEXA 250 10 COUNTESS 95 8 LAPWING 500 12

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