S.S. Countess of Breadalbane (1882 - 1936)
at Portsonachan
These pages
are sponsored by Ardanaiseig Hotel.
This section is reprinted with
permission from the 1990 (fourth) edition of Clyde River and other
Steamers by C.L.D. Duckworth and G.E. Langmuir (Brown, Son & Ferguson
Ltd., 4-10 Darnley Street, Glasgow G41 2SD, Tel: 0141 429 1234), pp.
162-165.
An update has been provided by Averil Watson of Dalmally. The
photographs have been supplied by the Kennedy Collection (Ian Kennedy,
Glasgow). The Loch Awe Community Website Association is grateful to all
concerned.
S.S. Eva
This smaller steamer built at Kelvindock, Maryhill, in 1861, is understood
to have been the first on Loch Awe. She was advertised for sale within the
Argyll Arms Hotel, Inveraray in October, 1862.
S.S. Queen of the Lake
This steamer, built in 1863, passed into the ownership of Messrs. Hutcheson
by the early seventies. She carried on their service alone till 1876, when
Lochawe was acquired, and after withdrawal was beached some distance south
of Ford Pier, where she lay derelict for many years. The remains of her
keel and stem can still be seen there when the level of the loch is
exceptionally low.
S.S. Lochawe
This vessel made her appearance on the loch in 1876. Owned by Messrs.
Hutcheson, she had a saloon amidships on the main deck with dining saloon
below; and the machinery consisting of a pair of cylinders (simple)
exhausting to atmosphere was situated aft.
S.S. Lochawe at Ford Pier
S.S. Lochawe with S.S. Countess of
Breadalbane at Ford Pier
(between 1876 and 1925)
Lochawe plied originally from
Ford to Pass of Brander from which the journey to Oban was completed by
horse-drawn coach; but from 1880 Loch Awe Pier become the Northern
terminus, and passengers travelled onwards to Oban by the Callendar &
Oban Railway. There was a thus a through route from the south via
Ardrishaig and Ford to Oban and the north, even before the railway was
opened to Oban. During the First World War she was laid up, and in 1925
was scrapped.
S.S. Kilchurn Castle
Mr. Thomas Cameron of Port Sonachan Hotel appears to have been the next
owner of steamers on Loch Awe, of which he had three, with their
headquarters at Port Sonachan. They had the somewhat unusual funnel
colouring of white with a blue band and a black top. The first, named as
above, entered service on 21st May 1883, and in a guide book of
the next year was shown as running in connexion with the Glen Nant tour.
She was probably broken up some time after 1895.
S.S. Sonachan
This was a very small steam launch, used locally at Port Sonachan.
T.S.S. Caledonia (1895 - 1918) and
Portsonachan Hotel
T.S.S. Caledonia
Built by Messrs. Bow, McLachlan & Company, this steamer was erected in
the builders yard at Paisley then taken to pieces and sent by rail to Loch
Awe where she was re-assembled. Her trials were run on Saturday 15th
June 1895. Caledonia had a spacious promenade deck nearly the full length,
and saloons fore and aft upholstered in a tasteful manner. The machinery
consisted of two sets of compound surface-condensing engines, steam being supplied by
one horizontal marine return-tube boiler.
T.S.S. Caledonia from Portsonachan Hotel
T.S.S. Caledonia at Portsonachan Hotel
In March 1918, Caledonia was
sold for service in Belgium, it being the intention to take her to that
country to lengthen her. She was accordingly dismantled at Port Sonachan,
and the sections were conveyed by the barge Ben Cruachan to Lochawe Pier,
the boiler being plugged and towed behind the barge. The lengthening
scheme, however, did not materialise and she was broken up by her
purchasers.
S.S. Margery
The cargo steamers on Loch Awe (locally known as barges) were run by
various owners from time to time. The first, named as above, was built from
wood and is thought to have originally been owned by Messrs. MacFarlane,
Timber Merchants, Loch Long. She was later purchased by Mr. James West,
Merchant, Loch Awe, and on his decease was sold to Mr. Thomas Dow, carrying
his funnel colouring of brown. She remained till 1901.
S.S. Eagle
This puffer was built in 1881 at Leith for Mr. Campbell Muir of
Innistrynich. She was taken by sea to Bonawe, then by road up the Pass of
Brander. Built of Iron and screw propelled, she had one mast, provided
with a derrick, and had her machinery aft. By her original owner, Eagle
was sold to Messrs. H. & D. McCowan, Oban, who advertised her 1902 to
sail from the Railway Pier for Ford every Monday and Friday, receiving and
discharging goods at all intermediate piers. In winter her southern
terminus was Eredine, calls being made at New York and Portinsherrich. She
was sold to Mr. Dow, passing in 1921 to Mr. David Wilson, and in 1929 to
Mr. Sheriffs. Sold in 1935 for scrapping she sank in the early part of the
next year, while laid up at Lochawe Pier. For some years afterwards her
mast could be seen a short distance west of the pier.
S.S. Alder
This was a yacht and estate boat, belonging to the owner of the
Ardbrecknish, often used for towing barges loaded with timber from the
local sawmills.
S.S. Ben Cruachan/ M.V. Glenorchy
This was the successor to Margery, built by Messrs. Rodger of Port
Glasgow, at Loch Awe. She was owned by Mr. Dow, by whom she was sold to
Mr. Wilson in 1921. She was then fitted with a motor engine in place of
her original steam machinery, and was renamed Glenorchy. Along with Eagle
she was sold to Mr. Sheriffs in 1929, and was withdrawn in 1935. She was
the last cargo vessel to ply for public trade on the loch.
S.S. Countess of Breadalbane (I)
Mr. Duncan Fraser of Lochawe Hotel entered the field of steamboat ownership
in 1882, with this single screw steamer, which had saloons fore and aft,
somewhat similar in general design to Lady of the Lake built in the same
year for service on Loch Tay.
S.S. Countess of Breadalbane at Ford
Pier
In common with all other steamers on Scottish
fresh water lochs, she took her boiler feed-water directly from the loch on
which she sailed. The Lochawe service was suspended in 1914 and was not
reinstated until 1922, when the ship was sold to The Caledonian Steam Packet
Co. Ltd. She served that company for 14 years, and was broken up in 1936.
S.S. Mona
This was a wooden steam launch with a small cabin forward, and was used
for short pleasure trips from Loch Awe Pier to Falls of Cruachan, Pass of
Brander, round the islands, etc. and for towing boats for fishing. She was
owned by Mr. Duncan Fraser, and was broken up 1900.
S.S. Growley (I)
To take the place of Mona, this steam launch was purchased by Mr. Fraser
about 1900. She had been built by Scott’s Shipbuilding & Engineering
Co. Ltd. Greenock, and had been used by Mr. Scott for private sailings from
Eredine, his loch side residence. Later she was used by Mr. G. S. Hartley of
Hayfield, by whom she was sold to Mr. Fraser for passenger traffic.
Occasionally she was used for the towage of non-propelled barges, in a
similar way to Alder, and was sold in 1936.
M.V. Growley (II)
Built in 1936, this small motor launch came from Cockenzie and was the
successor to the first vessel of the same name. It is understood that she
was taken over by the admiralty in 1939-40, and was wrecked near Inveraray.
In 1936 also there appeared
a notable addition to the Loch Awe fleet, viz. the second Countess of
Breadalbane, built for the Caledonian Steam Packet Company.
The cargo motor boat Coileach Coille was
on the loch after the Second World War, engaged in the transport of timber for
the Forestry Commission; and two small motor launches, Glen Strae and Glen
Orchy were used for short trips from Lochawe Hotel. After the transfer of
Countess of Breadalbane to the Clyde, there was placed on the loch in June
1952, a small motor launch named Lady of Lorn, owned by Mr J H Lynn of
Dalmally, who, however, after having taken over the Darthula II
concentrated on the Loch Etive sailings. Lady of Lorn then returned to the
Clyde as Kempock Lad in the ferry fleet of Messrs. Ritchie Bros.,
operating between Gourock and Kilcreggan.
In 1979 a converted lifeboat made her
appearance on the loch, giving short cruises from the site of the slip
previously used by the Countess of Breadalbane, but a much greater attempt
to revive cruising on the loch was made in 1985/6.
Punch, on Norfolk Broads (renamed
Silver Heron on Loch Awe; now Dalmore, privately owned)
Silver Heron on Loch Awe
It was Mr Harry Watson
who was responsible for this, with the placing on the loch of the motor
cabin cruiser Silver Heron, followed in 1986 by SS Lady Rowena, owned by
the Dalradia Steam Packet Company Ltd (Loch Awe, it should be noted, is
bounded on the north east by part of the ancient kingdom of Dalriada).
On
Lake Windermere named Water Lily from the 1920s and powered by a Gleniffer
petrol paraffin engine, the boat later had a Morris engine, and left the
Lake in 1973, being from 1981 owned by Trentside Cafe, Gunthorpe,
Nottinghamshire. Having been bought by Averil and Harry Watson in
September 1984, she was taken by road to Renfrew for restoration and
conversion to steam power, with a Sisson-replica non-condensing
compound engine, taking steam from a vertical fire-tube boiler made by
Langley Engineering of Storrington and using wood or peat as fuel.
Lady Rowena on the River Trent (before
coming to Loch Awe)
Installing the boiler on the Lady
Rowena
Completed in July 1986 she obtained a
certificate for 30 passengers. Taken by road to Loch Awe, she was
launched by crane, taking up passenger service from Lochawe Pier on
9th August, under the name Lady Rowena.
This boat is the first propelled by
steam on the Loch for fifty years, and in addition to running short
cruises for the public was used in her first season to provide a sail
each week for the passengers on the 'Royal Scotsman' train. In 1988
her sailing were extended to include calls at Port Sonachan,
Taychreggan, Dalavich and Ardanaiseig.
Putting the Lady Rowena into Loch Awe
in the Pass of Brander
Update by Averil Watson
In 1988 a vintage railway carriage was purchased from Scotrail and
installed on the pier to act as a tea-room, waiting room, information
centre and comfort station.
A further addition in 1990 was a diesel
boat Flower of Scotland. With a certificate for 56 passengers, she could
accommodate coach tours and was also used for functions.
The business was intended mainly as a
retirement project, but unfortunately Harry Watson did not live to enjoy
and develop it. He died in 1992 and Averil Watson continued to run the
company for a further seven years. The Harry Watson Memorial Steam Boat
Rally is normally held mid-July each year.
In 1996, Offshore Workboats Ltd of
Renfrew agreed to undertake the excavation of a channel into the bay of
Kilchurn Castle. Historic Scotland and Dalriada Steam Packet Company then
co-operated in establishing a ferry service to the castle. This proved to
be attractive to other operators and in 1999 the boats and tea-room
together with the lease of the pier were sold to Lochawe Steam Packet
Company under the aegis of Ardanaiseig Hotel. There are plans for further
development, but continuing in keeping with the unique unspoiled beauty of
Loch Awe.
