Glasgow And Ships Of The Clyde

News Event

Tuesday, April 24, 1973 @ 1200 		CALEDONIA (1934-1939 and 1946-1969 Excursion paddle steamer 230 feet 70.1 metres 14 knots of Caledonian Steam Packet Company. Gourock) Own Page

Postcard of Rothesay mailed in 1973 shows paddle steamer CALEDONIA and launch GAY QUEEN
Ship's locationRothesay (Isle of Bute, Firth of Clyde, Scotland, UK)Port of RegistryGlasgow
Gross Tonnage623
Deadweght Tonnage161

At the top-left of the postcard is the paddle steamer CALEDONIA of Caledonian Steam Packet Company, which in due course became Caledonian MacBrayne. 

 CALEDONIA was a very frequent visitor to Rothesay, making visits to many piers on the Clyde and often making day excursion cruises from Ayr, Troon, Ardrossan and Largs to Rothesay and then through the Kyles of Bute to Tighnabruaich.


And at the bottom-left is the pleasure motor cruiser GAY QUEEN which operated short excursion cruises from a small pier to Rothesay Bay and surrounding area.   It is thought that in 2025 she was still in existence, heavily modernised and under a new name, working in the River Fal in the south of England