Ailsa Shipbuilding Company was a Scottish shipbuilding company based in Troon and Ayr, Ayrshire.

History The company was founded in 1885 by Archibald Kennedy, 3rd Marquess of Ailsa, along with Peter James Wallace and Alexander McCredie.

In 1902 the Ailsa yard fitted out the polar exploration ship for the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902–04. The Scotia sailed from Troon for the South Atlantic on 2 November 1902.

The company built paddle steamers for various companies around the UK, including the New Medway Shipping Company's PS Medway Queen, the only estuary paddle steamer left in the UK.

During the First World War, the shipyard built the Royal Navy's first paddle minesweeper of the .

During the Second World War, Ailsa built vessels for the Navy, including several s.

In 1977 Ailsa was nationalised and subsumed into the British Shipbuilders Corporation. In 1981, the assets of Ailsa and those of Ferguson Brothers were merged to form Ferguson-Ailsa, Limited. This grouping was split and privatised in 1986, the Ailsa yard being acquired by Perth Corporation as Ailsa & Perth, Limited.

Ailsa stopped large-scale shipbuilding in 1988 and finally closed as a shipbuilder in 2000.Ayrshire shipyard closing BBC News, 18 August 2000 The yard has recently been used for ship repair work and the fabrication of large concrete sections for a pier improvement programme in Grimsay, Western Isles.

Ships built by Ailsa Shipbuilding Company

Yard No Name Type Launch Notes 4 Cargo ship 4 January 1888 renamed Belgian Prince53SV DalblairSteel sailing vessel 3-masted barque1895Lost in a cyclone off Mauritius in 1902 68 SS Tobruk Italian Navy gunboat 1897 Built as yacht Evona - since 1912 RN Tobruk 70 Passenger ship 24 March 1898 78 SS Katoomba Patrol ship 28 December 1898 renamed USS Emeline 82 SS The Marchioness General Cargo Coaster 22 August 1899 Sunk by a U-Boat 1916 105 MY Triton Motor yacht 1902 now Madiz 121 Yacht 4 February 1904 Requisitioned by Admiralty 1917 and 1939; at Dunkirk evacuation; sank off Portland after air attack 11 July 1940 183 SS Queen of the Lake Steamer 7 July 1907 For the Loch Tay Steamboat Company. Scrapped 1950. 294 Gunboat 15 September 1915 297 Minesweeper 26 January 1916 298 Minesweeper 4 April 1916 299 Minesweeper 14 June 1916 332HMS James CosgroveMinesweeper5 March 1919 334 Minesweeper 29 April 1918 335 Minesweeper 11 June 1918 336 Minesweeper 21 November 1918 338 Minesweeper 17 January 1919 345 Minesweeper 15 August 1919 388 Paddle steamer 23 April 1924 396 SS Scillonian Passenger vessel 17 November 1925 432 Minesweeper 19 August 1940 437 Minesweeper 4 September 1941 439 Minesweeper 19 December 1941 452 Frigate 19 October 1944 453 Frigate 8 October 1945 473 Minesweeper 16 February 1953 474 Minesweeper 4 December 1953 480 Ferry 20 January 1954 481 Ferry 28 September 1954 483 Minesweeper 25 May 1955 484 Minesweeper 9 December 1957 487 Minesweeper 12 May 1959 488 Minesweeper 22 January 1958 496 Ferry 30 April 1957 499 MV Lochalsh (II) Ferry 1957 renamed Scalpay 500 MV Container Enterprise Container ship 19 February 1959 subsequently Iscar I , Sea Container, Isamar, Freedom Express; Scuttled 2003 501 MV Container Venturer Container ship 14 August 1959 subsequently Trupial, Sea Mist, Skorpion I, Jeanny Cay II 505 MV Freshwater Car ferry 1959 Sold to Western Ferries as Sound of Seil 506 MV Slieve Donard Cargo ship 1 October 1959 507 Passenger 29 April 1960 508 Ferry 16 February 1961 509 Ferry 27 October 1961 510 MV Kyleakin Ferry 1961 renamed Largs 514 MV Themara Yacht 1962 517 MV Bowbelle Aggregate dredger 11 May 1964 Involved in the sinking of the Marchioness on the River Thames in 1989. Renamed Billo in 1992 and Bom Rei in 1996. Sank off the coast of Madeira in March 1996."Scottish Built Ships", www.clydeships.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2019. 529 Ferry 1969 530 MV Iona Ferry 22 January 1970 renamed Pentalina-B 531 Ferry 26 June 1969 533 Diesel ferry 22 December 1971 547 Ferry 4 December 1975 renamed Panagia Soumela 551 Ferry 23 December 1976 552 Ferry 30 June 1977 553LT RelumeLighthouse Tender5 July 1978 554 Ferry 11 June 1979 555MV GoleniowBulk Carrier9 April 1979556MV CambourneSuction Hopper Dredger12 June 1980557MT TraguairGas Tanker21 August 1981Her forward part was built at Ferguson's, Port Glasgow, yard 485. Both were launched on the same day, being completed at Ferguson's.558MV Star VegaOffshore Supply Vessel1 November 1982559MT TarihikoLPG Tanker29 March 1983560MV Simba IIFirefighting Tug21 October 1983561MV Nguvu IIFirefighting Tug31 January 1984562MV ChuiFirefighting Tug5 April 1984563MV DumaFirefighting Tug28 June 1984564MV FaruFirefighting Tug5 October 1984565MV M.V.A.Hopper Barge11 February 1985566MV FivlaFerry12 February 1985567MV Fort ResolutionOffshore Supply Vessel17 October 1985568MV Fort RelianceOffshore Supply Vessel28 March 1986Not delivered until 1989, by Ferguson Shipbuilders Ltd.569MV Seaforth EarlOffshore Supply Vessel3 October 1985570MV Seaforth BaronetOffshore Supply Vessel7 March 1986 571 Research vessel 11 August 1986 573 Ferry 1996 574FV AeolusFishing Vessel Trawler1997First fishing vessel built by Ailsa, Troon.575FV Russa TaignFishing Vessel TrawlerNovember 1997576FV Solstice IIFishing Vessel Trawler17 November 1997577FV Atlantic ChallengeFishing Vessel Trawler12 September 1998 578 Naval Patrol & Training Vessel January 1998 579 Naval Patrol & Training Vessel 1997 582HMS A.01Naval Landing Craft30 July 1999Modified by BAE systems, Govan after Ailsa shipyard closed, including the build of the remaining of the class of 10 vessels for the Royal Navy.583HMS A.02Naval Landing Craft25 November 1999 592 Ferry 8 May 2000 Sources: Miramar, Clyde Ships

Archives The Ailsa Shipbuilding Company archives are maintained by the University of Glasgow Archives Services.

References