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. In the years that followed, there was significant investment in piers and ships.

Amalgamations

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 1 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 Sources

Type Name Built Launched Tonnage (GRT) Operated NotesPhotoPSMeg MerriliesBarclay, Curle & Co., Glasgow 18832441889-1902ex Capt. Robert CampbellSold for service in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, scrapped in 1921.PSCaledonia (I)Rankin & Blackmore, Greenock 18892441889-1933Scrapped in Barrow-in-Furness in 1933.PSGalateaCaird & Co., Greenock 18893311889-1906Scrapped in Palermo in 1911.PSMadge WildfireMcKnight, Ayr 18862201890-1911ex Capt. Robert CampbellScrapped at Troon in 1946.PSMarchioness of BredalbaneJohn Reid & Co., Port Glasgow 18902461890-1935Sold for scrap in 1935, but saved for use as an excursion steamer in Great Yarmouth. Scrapped in 1937 in Germany.PSMarchioness of ButeJohn Reid & Co., Port Glasgow 18902461890-1908Sold to Tay Pleasure Steamers in 1908. Scrapped at Inverkeithing in 1923.PSDuchess of Hamilton (I)Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 18905331890-1914She served as a minesweeper during World War I. She struck a mine in the Thames Estuary, laid by German submarine UC-3, and sank on 29 November 1915.PSMarchioness of Lorne (I)Russell & Co., Port Glasgow 18912951891-1914Returned after World War I, but not re-commissioned, lay at Bowling Harbour until scrapped in 1923.PSDuchess of RothesayJ. & G. Thomson, Clydebank 18953381895-1939Scrapped in the Netherlands after World War II.PS (I)John Brown & Co., Clydebank 19023211902-1914Sunk whilst serving as minesweeper, 1917.PSFairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co., Govan 19033361903-1953Scrapped at Port Glasgow in 1953.TSDuchess of ArgyllWm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 19065931906-1952Sold to Admiralty for use as a test vessel in Portland. Scrapped at Newhaven in 1970.PSD. & W. Henderson & Co., Glasgow 18802821897-19111916-1919 (charter)ex Firth of Clyde Steam Packet Co.Scrapped at Dumbarton in 1919.SSQueen of the LakeAilsa Shipbuilding Co., Ayr 19071521922-1949Inherited from the Loch Tay Steamboat Company 1922. Scrapped at Kenmore in 1950.At Kenmore. Dundee Courier Wednesday 2 November 1932SSCountess of Breadalbane (I)Abercorn Shipbuilding Co, Paisley 1882951922-1936 Scrapped at Loch Awe in 1936.SSLady of the LakeAnderson & Lyall, Govan 1882681922-1929Inherited from the Loch Tay Steamboat Company 1922. Scrapped at Kenmore in 1929.SSSybilla 1882 1922-1929Inherited from the Loch Tay Steamboat Company 1922. ScrappedPSPrince EdwardA. & J. Inglis, Glasgow 1911304 1923-1955Scrapped at Balloch in 1955.TSAtlantaJohn Brown & Co., Clydebank 1906486 1923-1937Scrapped at Ghent in 1946.PSJuno (I)Clydebank Shipbuilding & Engineering Co 1898592 1923-1932Scrapped at Alloa in 1932.PSGlen Sannox (I)James & George Thomson, Clydebank 1892610 1923-1925 Scrapped at Port Glasgow in 1925.TS (II)Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 19308061930-1965Scrapped at Ghent in 1965.TS (II)Harland & Wolff, Govan 19328011932-1971Scrapped at Troon in 1974.PS (II)Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 19346241934-1969Sold for use as a floating pub in central London. Suffered fire damage beyond repair on 27 April 1980 and scrapped in Sittingbourne as a result.PSA. & J. Inglis/Napier and Miller 1909 4321935-1946 Acquired from Williamson-Buchanan Steamers in 1935, requisitioned by the Admiralty in 1939, returned in 1945 but not returned to service, scrapped in 1946.PSMarchioness of LorneFairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co., Govan 19354491935-1955MVWee CumbraeWm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 1936361935-1953MVArran MailWm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 19361371936-1951MVWm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 19361061936-1971TSMarchioness of GrahamFairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co., Govan 19365851936-1958PSJupiterFairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co., Govan 19376421937-1960PSJunoFairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co., Govan 19376421937-1939Bombed and sunk whilst serving as HMS Helvellyn, 20 March 1941MVAshtonWm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 1938381938-1965MVLevenWm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 1938381938-1966PSGlen Rosa (I)J. & G. Thomson, Clydebank 18933061938-1939ex London, Midland and Scottish RailwayTSGlen Sannox (II)Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 19256641938-1954ex London, Midland and Scottish Railway. Scrapped at Ghent in 1954.PSMercuryFairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co., Govan 19346211938-1939ex London, Midland and Scottish Railway. She struck a mine and sank in the Irish Sea whilst serving as a minesweeper, 24 December 1940TSWm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 19015511943-1952ex Williamson-Buchanan SteamersTSQueen Mary IIWm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 1933870later 1,0141943-1973ex Williamson-Buchanan Steamers, to CalMac in 1973Laid up in harbour at Greenock in 1981. The funnel was later removed and replaced with two smaller ones, as the ship originally had.MVSkyeJ Miller & Sons, St Monance 192281945-1950MVKyleakin (I)Webster & Bickerton Ltd, Goole 192871945-1951MVMoilH. McLean & Sons, Renfrew 1936151945-1954MVCuillinWm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 1942241945-1954PSQueen-EmpressMurdoch & Murray, Port Glasgow 19124111946De-requisitioned 1946 and returned to CSP (as successors to Williamson-Buchanan Steamers) but not recommissionedPSPrincess MayA. & J. Inglis, Glasgow 18992561948-1953Scrapped at Balloch in 1953.PSLucy AshtonT. B. Seath & Co., Rutherglen 18882241948-1949Scrapped at Faslane in 1951.SSArran (I)Ardrossan Dockyard Ltd, Ardrossan 19332081949-1958Renamed SS Kildonan (I) in 1952. Scrapped at Port Glasgow in 1958.SSMinardScott & Sons, Bowling, Glasgow 19252411949-1955Scrapped at Port Glasgow in 1955.SSArdyneScott & Sons, Bowling, Glasgow 19282421949-1955Scrapped at Troon in 1955.MVCoruisk (I)Yorkshire Yacht Building Co., Bridlington 1947191950-1954PSFairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co., Govan 1931814(as modified)1951-1965ex British Transport Commission. Scrapped at Antwerp in 1968.DEPVA. & J. Inglis, Glasgow 19355441951-1967ex British Transport CommissionRight, at Inglis shipyard.PSWaverleyA. & J. Inglis, Glasgow 19466931951-1973ex British Transport Commission, to CalMac in 1973MVLochalsh (I)Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 1951241951-1958MVPortree (I)Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 1951531952-1967PSA. & J. Inglis, Glasgow 19535551953-1973to CalMac in 1973At Balloch Pier.MVArran (II)Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 19535681953-1973to CalMac in 1973MVA. & J. Inglis, Glasgow 19535081953-1973to CalMac in 1973MVYarrow & Co., Scotstoun 19535081953-1973Leaving Blairmore.MVArdrossan Dockyard 19535081953-1973MVA. & J. Inglis, Glasgow 19535081953-1973MVBute (VI)Ailsa Shipbuilding Co., Troon 19545691954-1973to CalMac in 1973MVCowal (II)Ailsa Shipbuilding Co., Troon 19545691954-1973to CalMac in 1973MVBroadford (I)Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 1954571954-1973to CalMac in 1973MVGlen Sannox (III)Ailsa Shipbuilding Co., Troon 19571,1071957-1973to CalMac in 1973. Grounded in 2000 off Saudi Arabia in this position.MVLochalsh (II)Ailsa Shipbuilding Co., Troon 1957601957-1972Converted and renamed MV Scalpay (II) in 1972, to MacBrayne's in 1972, then to CalMac in 1973.MVKyleakin (II)Ailsa Shipbuilding Co., Troon 1960601960-1973Converted and renamed MV Largs in 1972, to CalMac in 1973TSWm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton 19613,6291961-1968to British Rail (Sealink)MVPortree (II)James Lamont & Co, Port Glasgow 1965631965-1973 to CalMac in 1973MVBroadford (II)James Lamont & Co, Port Glasgow 1966641967-1973 to CalMac in 1973MVJ Samuel White, Southampton 19612141967-1973ex British Railways (Eastern Region) MV Rose, to CalMac in 1973 MVEilean DhuUnknown 1940281969-1970MVDhuirnishJames Noble Ltd, Fraserburgh 1957291969-1971MVEilean BuidheDickie of Tarbert Ltd, Tarbert Loch Fyne 1963341969-1971MVCoruisk (II)Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon 1969601969-1973to CalMac in 1973ACVHM2 - 011Hovermarine Transport Ltd, Southampton 1970121970-1972Experimental hovercraft.MV (III)A/S Langesunds Mek Versted, Norway 19661,1571970-1973ex Stena Line MV Stena Baltica, to CalMac in 1973. Scrapped in Turkey in 2005.MVKyleakin (III)Newport Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Wales 19702251970-1973to CalMac in 1973MVLochalsh (III)Newport Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Wales 19712251971-1973to CalMac in 1973MVKilbrannanJames Lamont & Co, Port Glasgow 1972651972-1973to CalMac in 1973

References