Caledonian Steam Packet Company

The Caledonian Steam Packet Company provided a scheduled shipping service, carrying freight and passengers, on the west coast of Scotland. Formed in 1889 to complement the services of the Caledonian Railway, the company expanded by taking over rival ferry companies. In 1973, they were merged with MacBraynes as Caledonian MacBrayne.

Formation

Rival railway companies, the Caledonian Railway (CR), the North British Railway (NBR) and the Glasgow and South Western Railway (GSWR) at first used the services of various early private operators of Clyde steamers. The CR failed to attract private ship owners to their new extension from Greenock to the fishing village of Gourock. They had purchased the harbour at Gourock, which had advantages of a faster line from Glasgow, bypassing the Glasgow and South Western Railway Prince's Pier at Greenock, and being closer to the Clyde resorts. The CR began operating steamers on its own account in 1889.

The Caledonian Steam Packet Company (CSP) was formed as a packet company in May 1889, with Captain James Williamson as secretary and manager. Nominally an independent company, they bought the ships needed to operate steamer services to and from Gourock. On withdrawal of the Wemyss Bay Steamboat Company in 1890, CSP took over services to Rothesay, Largs and Millport. In June 1890, they established a service to Arran from the Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway railhead at Ardrossan Montgomerie Pier Railway Station. In the years that followed, there was significant investment in piers and ships.

Amalgamations

lying in Brodick Bay in front of Brodick Castle, waiting for the car ferry to leave before returning to the pier

After years of fierce competition between all the fleets, the CR and GSWR amalgamated with several other railways at the start of 1923 to form the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) and their fleets amalgamated into the Caledonian Steam Packet Company, their funnels being painted yellow with a black top. At the same time the NBR (and its shipping fleet) also amalgamated with other railways to create the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), which built the in 1947.

In 1935, Williamson-Buchanan Steamers was taken over by the Caledonian Steam Packet Company.

In 1945, the Caledonian Steam Packet Company took responsibility for the Kyleakin to Kyle of Lochalsh ferry.

With nationalisation in 1948, the LMS and LNER fleets were amalgamated as Clyde Shipping Services, under the control of the British Transport Commission.

In 1957 a reorganisation restored the Caledonian Steam Packet Company name, and in 1965 a red lion was added to each side of the black-topped yellow funnels. The headquarters remained at Gourock pierhead.

At the end of December 1968 management of the Caledonian Steam Packet Company passed to the Scottish Transport Group, which gained control of David MacBrayne's the following June. The MacBrayne service from Gourock to Ardrishaig ended on 30 September 1969, leaving the Clyde services entirely to the Caledonian Steam Packet Company.

Merger with MacBraynes

On 1st January 1973 the Caledonian Steam Packet Co. acquired most of the ships and routes of David MacBrayne Ltd and commenced joint Clyde and West Highland operations under the new name of Caledonian MacBrayne, with a combined headquarters at Gourock.

List of ships operated by the company

Name	Built	Gross Register Tonnage	Operated	Notes	Image
PS Meg Merrilies	Barclay, Curle & Co., Glasgow, 1883	244	1888-1902	ex Capt. Robert Campbell
PS Madge Wildfire	McKnight, Ayr, 1886	220	1888-1911	ex Capt. Robert Campbell
PS Caledonia	Rankin & Blackmore, Greenock, 1889	244	1889-1933
PS Galatea	Caird & Co., Greenock, 1889	331	1889-1906
PS Marchioness of Bredalbane	John Reid & Co., Port Glasgow, 1890	246	1890-1935
PS Marchioness of Bute	John Reid & Co., Port Glasgow, 1890	246	1890-1914	Returned after World War I but not re-commissioned
PS Duchess of Hamilton	Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton, 1890	533	1890-1914	She served as a minesweeper during WWI. She struck a mine in the Thames Estuary, laid by German submarine UC-3, and sank on 29th November 1915
PS Marchioness of Lorne	Russell & Co., Port Glasgow, 1891	295	1891-1914	Returned after World War I, but not re-commissioned
PS Duchess of Rothesay	J. & G. Thomson, Clydebank, 1895	338	1895-1939	Not returned after World War II
PS Duchess of Montrose	John Brown & Co., Clydebank, 1902	321	1902-1914	Sunk whilst serving as minesweeper, 1917
PS Duchess of Fife	Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co., Govan, 1903	336	1903-1953
TS Duchess of Argyll	Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton, 1906	593	1906-1952
PS Ivanhoe	D. & W. Henderson & Co., Glasgow, 1880	282	1897-1911	ex Firth of Clyde Steam Packet Co.
TS Duchess of Montrose	Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton, 1930	806	1930-1965
TS Duchess of Hamilton	Harland & Wolff, Govan, 1932	801	1932-1971
PS Caledonia	Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton, 1934	624	1934-1969
PS Marchioness of Lorne	Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co., Govan, 1935	449	1935-1955
MV Wee Cumbrae	Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton, 1936	36	1935-1953
MV Arran Mail	Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton, 1936	137	1936-1951
MV Countess of Breadalbane	Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton, 1936	106	1936-1971
TS Marchioness of Graham	Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co., Govan, 1936	585	1936-1958
PS Jupiter	Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co., Govan, 1937	642	1937-1960
PS Juno	Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co., Govan, 1937	642	1937-1939	Bombed and sunk whilst serving as HMS Helvellyn, 20 March 1941
MV Ashton	Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton, 1938	38	1938-1965
MV Leven	Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton, 1938	38	1938-1966
PS Glen Rosa	J. & G. Thomson, Clydebank, 1893	306	1938-1939	ex London, Midland and Scottish Railway
TS Glen Sannox	Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton, 1925	664	1938-1954	ex London, Midland and Scottish Railway
PS Mercury	Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co., Govan, 1934	621	1938-1939	ex London, Midland and Scottish Railway. She struck a mine and sank in the Irish Sea whilst serving as a minesweeper, 24 December 1940
TS King Edward	Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton, 1901	551	1943-1952	ex Williamson-Buchanan Steamers
TS Queen Mary'' II	Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton, 1933	870 later 1,014	1943-1973	ex Williamson-Buchanan Steamers, to Caledonian MacBrayne
PS Queen-Empress	Murdoch & Murray, Port Glasgow, 1912	411	1946	De-requisitioned 1946 and returned to CSP (as successors to Williamson-Buchanan Steamers) but not recommissioned
PS Jeanie Deans	Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co., Govan, 1931	814 (as modified)	1951-1965	ex British Transport Commission
DEPT Talisman	A. & J. Inglis, Glasgow, 1935	544	1951-1967	ex British Transport Commission
PS Waverley	A. & J. Inglis, Glasgow, 1946	693	1951-1973	ex British Transport Commission, to Cal Mac
PS Maid of the Loch	A. & J. Inglis, Glasgow, 1953	555	1953-1973	to Cal Mac
MV Arran	Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton, 1953	568	1953-1973	to Cal Mac
MV Maid of Argyll	A. & J. Inglis, Glasgow, 1953	508	1953-1973	to Cal Mac
MV Maid of Ashton	Yarrow & Co., Scotstoun, 1953	508	1953-1973
MV Maid of Cumbrae	Ardrossan Dockyard, 1953	508	1953-1973
MV Maid of Skelmorlie	A. & J. Inglis, Glasgow, 1953	508	1953-1973
MV Bute	Ailsa Shipbuilding Co., Troon, 1954	569	1954-1973	to Cal Mac
MV Cowal	Ailsa Shipbuilding Co., Troon, 1954	569	1954-1973	to Cal Mac
MV Glen Sannox	Ailsa Shipbuilding Co., Troon, 1957	1,107	1957-1973	to Cal Mac
TS Caledonian Princess	Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton, 1961	3,629	1961-1968	to British Rail (Sealink)
MV Keppel	J Samuel White, Southampton, 1961	214	1967-1973	ex British Railways (Eastern Region) MV Rose, to Cal Mac
MV Caledonia	A/S Langesunds Mek Versted, Norway, 1966	1,157	1970-1973	ex Stena Line MV Stena Baltica, to Cal Mac
MV Kilbrannan	J. Lamont & Co., Port Glasgow, 1972	65	1972-1973	to Cal Mac