Glasgow And Ships Of The Clyde

Clyde cruising on "Dumbarton Castle" in 1825

From: Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald dated 23rd June 1972

CLYDE CRUISING IN DAYS OF YORE - 1825

With the advent of the summer season many people are now probably immersed in guide books and timetables, and one which they might find fascinating is "The Steam Boat Companion and Strangers' Guide to the Western Islands and Highlands of Scotland".

The Steamboat Guide consists of 212 pages of close type, with maps, descriptions of the scenery of the river and "Frith" of Clyde, with the voyages to Liverpool and Belfast, and land tours to the Giant's Causeway and Lakes of Cumberland thrown in for good measure. Published by James Lumsden & Son, Glasgow, it costs 7s 6d and lists 44 steam vessels plying regularly in Clyde waters.

Comprehensive as the Companion is, its interest is now only historical, since its date of publication was, astonishingly, 1825 - and the chances of another copy ever turning up are remote. The printing date is astonishing, because the first steam vessel built for passengers in this country was constructed by Henry Bell in 1812: and only 12 years later one could sail on the Clyde to all the destinations still available today.

A Londoner who wished to visit Arran for example in 1825 was faced certainly with fairly arduous journeys by any route, but could do the whole trip by water in reasonable comfort.

CANAL

Commencing his journey at London Bridge he sailed down the Thames and up the east coast, touching at Gravesend, Yarmouth, Scarborough and on to Leith. From Edinburgh he went by steamer to Grangemouth, then to Lock No. 16, whence to Glasgow by the Forth and Clyde Canal.

At Glasgow he would board the "ROTHESAY CASTLE" (74 tons) which plied to Rothesay and on to Brodick Bay (the most convenient place for landing). Describing Brodick Castle the Companion comments that on the north side - there is an angular bastion which Oliver Cromwell caused to be erected when he fortified the castle. His men however having committed some outrages in the island, were beset, and to the number of eighty, were murdered by the natives - an Arran episode not generally known.

"Goatfell", says the book, "is 2865 feet high according to Dr McCallum's measurement or 2947 feet according to that of Professor Playfair; (the Ordnance Survey makes it 2866 and they're probably right). It presents from its summit one of the finest views in Britain, but is much exposed to wind, rain, snow and mist".

For whatever reason compilers of tourist guides of the period expected their readers to be obsessed with geology and mineralology - for the next four pages the Steam Boat Companion conducts its readers round Arran, going into great detail about the peculiarities of granite, micaceous schistus rock, quartz, and limestone containing numerous terebratulae and madreporites.

Taking tourists round the island nowadays the coach drivers never even mention it.

SCREEB

"The traveller leaves Brodick northwards for Screeb" (where the mineralologist should endeavour to discover the junction of the primary and secondary limestone strata)". He can if he likes, but first he'll have to discover where Screeb was: the present writer"s researches have failed to identify it.

On, "to Corry and Scriden, Loch Ranza, where the castle is still in good preservation and might be rendered habitable at a small expense; Kilmory (where zeolite and prehnite are met with), so round to Lamlash and Holy Island which is composed of red sandstone, porphyry and trap". There is no mention whatever of Whiting Bay - nor for that matter of any difficulty in access to Holy Isle.

The book comments: "There was formerly very inferior accommodation only to be got in Arran and the roads were also very bad. But there is now a very excellent inn at Brodick and several good roads are made or are in course of making. No mineral dealer we believe has yet fixed his residence on the island".

COASTLINE

The wise traveller 150 years ago would naturally wish to visit Ardrossan and he could take a sailing ship from Arran, or if he was thirled to his steamboats, he could return to Glasgow and come down the coast, "espying such places as Largs, a neat pleasant village containing some good inns and environed by many agreeable villas. Sir T. Brisbane is proprietor or superior of the whole town. From this place there is a regular ferry to Kerryirag in Bute.

"On a point of the mainland stands the old castle of Pencross; near which in 1588 one of the ships of the Spanish Armada was wrecked", (this is Portencross) - "a short way on is Ardneal, 4 miles farther Boydston and near it, Mountford. Two miles on is the town and harbour of Ardrossan. From this a canal has been projected through the interior of the country to join with Paisley and Glasgow".

In a footnote, the Companion gives the dimensions of the Canal as 30 feet broad, 4 feet deep (!), admitting boats 68 feet long and 8 feet wide. "Eight locks will be required to raise it and thirteen to lower it, to Ardrossan".

"A steam boat (The "DUNBARTON CASTLE", 70 tons) plies from Glasgow to Stranraer once weekly during the summer, which after touching at all the ports upon the Clyde, leaves Ardrossan and sails to Saltcoats, Irvine, Troon and Ayr. This agreeable mode of conveyance to and from Glasgow although circuitous is preferred by the inhabitants of these places and of others in the interior of the country, to the expensive and comparatively disagreeable route by land".

It is to be hoped that the latter day mineralologist, the boot of his car loaded with his Arran limestone and porphyry and driving casually on and off "CALEDONIA" realises how luck he is.