COMPANY
HISTORY
 Main
Company History
An Outlined History of Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd
For a in-depth history of the company and Clyde steamers click
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DATE
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EVENT
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1812
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First Clyde steamer, PS COMET, sailed from
Glasgow to Greenock
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1814
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Birth of David MacBrayne
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1819
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PS COMET commenced sailing to West Highlands
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1841
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Glasgow-Greenock railway opened
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1851
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David Hutcheson & Co. Formed to operate steamers between Glasgow and the
Highlands
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1861
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The SS FINGAL is acquired for the Stornoway run – the first screw ship in
the company's history. She sails for only four months before being sold for
blockade-running to the American Confederacy
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1866
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Opening of railhead at Princes Pier (subsidiary of the Glasgow & South
Western Railway Co.)
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1879
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David Hutcheson & Co. renamed David MacBrayne
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1889
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Formation of the Caledonian Steam Packet Co. and the opening of the Gourock
route; CSP created by Caledonian Railway Co. to circumvent the law which at
that time forbade railway concerns from operating passenger shipping
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1891
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G&SWR obtained Parliamentary powers to run steamers
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1901
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KING EDWARD, the first turbine-powered passenger steamer anywhere in the
world, appears on the Clyde. She will later be acquired by the CSP and sail
on until 1952
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1906
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David MacBrayne became a Limited Company as David MacBrayne retires
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1907
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David MacBrayne dies on 26th January at the age of 92. The little
twin-screw COMET, acquired second-hand for the Ballachulish-Kinlochleven
run, is the first motor-propelled MacBrayne ship.
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1908
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Start of polling arrangement between CSP Co. and G&SWR
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1923
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CSP Co. and GSWR amalgamated under the control of LMS Railway; North British
steamers pass to control of LNER
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1928
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Formation of David MacBrayne (1928) Ltd as the family sells out, unable to
make business pay in post-war conditions; the new company is under joint
control of LMS Railway and Coast Lines Ltd and, then and since, has required
public subsidy for most West Highland services
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1931
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The latest of several new motor-vessels for MacBraynes, LOCH FYNE, takes up
service. She is the first diesel-electric ship in the fleet and is shown at
the Broomielaw in June alongside a company veteran. That legendary MacBrayne
paddle-steamer, GLENCOE, is shortly withdrawn and broken up. Built for
service to Stornoway by Sir James Matheson before passing to David Hutcheson
& Co., she is 85 years old
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1934
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Restoration of the name David MacBrayne Ltd
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1935
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Takeover of Williamson-Buchanan Steamers by CSP/LMS; Turbine Steamers Ltd
are acquired by MacBraynes, who also take over the little LMS passenger and
vehicle ferries on the Kyleakin crossing to Skye. WEE CUMBRAE is built for
the CSP by Denny's Dumbarton – the CSP's first motor-propelled ship
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1945
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In January the CSP are put in charge of the Kyleakin ferry
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1948
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The railways are nationalised. The LMS and LNER Clyde fleets are amalgamated
under the British Transport Commission, who also acquire the 50% LMS Railway
holding in David MacBrayne Ltd
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1954
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On 4th January the ARRAN, the first major car ferry in either
fleet, begins her career on the Gourock-Dunoon service
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1957
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By this time the name of the Caledonian Steam Packet Co. is revived and
presides over all railway controlled vessels in Scotland
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1964
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By special Parliamentary arrangement three major car ferries have been built
for David MacBrayne Ltd and the first, HEBRIDES, takes up service on the new
Uig-Tarbert-Lochmaddy service in April. They are officially owned by the
Secretary of State for Scotland, registered at Leith and chartered to
MacBraynes.
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1967
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A 1961-built Thames passenger ferry, ROSE, is acquired by the CSP for the
Largs-Millport service. Renamed KEPPEL, this little ship will survive in the
fleet until 1993 and is the first boat in either company of Voith-Schneider
propulsion
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1969
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On 1st January the newly created Scottish Transport Group takes
charge of all state-owned bus, haulage and passenger shipping operations in
Scotland – including the entire CSP fleet and a 50% interest in David
MacBrayne Ltd. On 14th July STG buy out Coast Lines Ltd's
interest in MacBraynes and so is in entire charge of CSP and MacBrayne
fleets and services
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1970
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The new IONA takes up there Gourock-Dunoon station in May – chartered to
the CSP but built for MacBraynes. She is the first drive-through RO/RO ferry
in either fleet and in fact will be the last “laid down” for the company
until the ISLE OF ARRAN. That August the new KYLEAKIN takes up service to
Skye and is the first double-ended ferry in the fleet. These new ferries are
rather successful. The Company's first and last hovercraft – HM2-011 –
is not, and is firmly retired in 1971 after only two seasons on the Dunoon
station
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1973
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The Caledonian Steam Packet Co. Ltd is renamed Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd with
responsibility for all excursion steamers and every car ferry service save
that to Scalpay, Harris. David MacBrayne Ltd retains control only of
subsidy-essential passenger and cargo services and ownership of one small
vehicle ferry, five conventional ships and several small craft. Ownership of
every other vessel is transferred to Caledonian MacBrayne Holdings Ltd –
except the three 1964 ferries, ownership of which is transferred from the
Secretary of State to David MacBrayne Ltd; they are then solemnly chartered
to CalMac. At season's end the company's last sea-going paddle-steamer,
WAVERLEY, is withdrawn. She is later sold for £1 to the Paddle Steamer
Preservation Society
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1974
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KING GEORGE V, the last passenger steamer in the West Highlands, is
withdrawn in September
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1975
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The CLAYMORE of 1955, the last traditional MacBrayne “mailboat”, is
finally withdrawn
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1976
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The LOCH CARRON of 1951, operating the last MacBrayne cargo service, from
Glasgow to Stornoway, retires in November
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1977
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In January the SCALPAY, the last turntable ferry in the fleet, is withdrawn.
That autumn the QUEEN MARY, the Clyde's last turbine steamer, finally
retires
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1979
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The pioneer car ferry ARRAN is withdrawn that autumn. The MORVERN (1973)
inaugurates a new car ferry service to Iona and islanders are at last
delivered “from the age of the coracle”
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1980
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David MacBrayne Ltd is reduced to a paper
company – the huge hike in oi9l prices has put paid to hopes of a
subsidy-free CalMac – and Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd assumes ownership and
operation of the entire fleet
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1981
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The MAID OF THE LOCH, last steamship in the fleet, is withdrawn that autumn.
The GLEN SANNOX, which has provided increasingly forlorn Clyde cruises since
the spring of 1978 in succession to QUEEN MARY, concludes for the season and
in early 1982 it is confirmed she will not resume a summer cruise schedule
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1985
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The new HEBRIDEAN ISLES, launched on the River Ouse in Yorkshire, is the
company's first vessel built in England, the first to be launched sideways
and the first to be launched by royalty (HRH The Duchess of Kent)
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1988
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The COLUMBA, the last purely hoist-loading vehicle ferry, is withdrawn and
sold
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1989
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The Scottish Transport Group is broken up. The bus and haulage elements are
sold to the private sector and Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd alone survives, in
direct ownership of the Secretary of State for Scotland with a public Board.
The GLEN SANNOX of 1957 is finally withdrawn; her record as the
longest-serving car ferry in the fleet is still unsurpassed
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1993
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The Government commissions another study in the hope of engineering the
privatisation of CalMac. This is subsequently proven to be impossible
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1994
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With the completion of linkspans at Mallaig and Armadale, the last
hoist-loading car ferry service is history
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1995
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Opening of the Skye Bridge and the end of the Kyleakin ferry
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2000
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Having seen off repeated efforts to force its privatisation, Caledonian
MacBrayne Ltd survive triumphantly as the last great nationalised industry
in captivity, having steadily cut their need of subsidy in real terms for
almost twenty years. A daughter concern, NorthLink, is created to operate
passenger services to Orkney and Shetland – and wins the tender
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2001
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A new history, by Iain McCrorie, Royal Road to the
Isles, celebrates 150 years of West Highland operations – in the
course of which no Hutcheson/MacBraynes/CSP/CalMac passenger has ever been
lost by shipwreck
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