Carrick Castle

Carrick Castle is a 15th-century tower house on the west shore of Loch Goil, Argyll.

The present ruin is possibly the third occupant of this location. The first may have been a Viking fort. The second structure, and first castle, is believed to have been built in the 12th century. Allegedly a hunting seat of the Scots kings, Carrick was originally a Lamont stronghold. In 1368 it then passed on to the Campbell Earls of Argyll.

In the spring of 1307, Robert the Bruce drove Henry Percy from the Castle before conducting a guerrilla war against Edward I of England. Edward had given the castle, which belonged to Robert, to Percy.

The third structure, the late 15th century castle, was a royal stronghold, held by the Earls of Argyll as hereditary keepers, and was the symbol and source of their power in South Argyll. It was one of their three chief castles, the other two being Duart and Fincharn.

Mary, Queen of Scots, visited here in 1563.

In 1685, during the rebellion of Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll, against King James VII, HMS Kingfisher bombarded the castle, badly damaging the keep, which lost its roof.

The castle was intermittently occupied until it was sold to the Murrays, the Earls of Dunmore.

The keep was a ruin for many years but is now in private ownership and undergoing restoration.

Western ferry

Making her way across the Clyde on a cold sunny winters day,the low winter light illuminates the hills and valleys of the Holy Loch.

Lyle Hill

The coaster Scog at anchor at the Tail of the Bank.

The hills of the Clyde

The view from Greenock esplanade.

Firth of Clyde

Ailsa Craig

The bottom photograph shows the small keep which stands about 61 meters up the eastern side. The castle has three storeys and was built by the Hamilton family in the late 1500's, after Philip of Spain tried to capture the island for himself.

MV Argyle

MV Argyle arriving at Wemyss Bay

Sks Tana

Sks Tana at anchor off Gourock,Sd Waterman was along side with supplies.

Skog

Anchored off Gourock

Ayton Cross

Ayton Cross at the Tail of the bank .

HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS

Hebridean Princess berthed at James Watt Dock before a receiving a winter refit.

Queen Mary

Queen Mary departing John Browns .

Lochnell

The new mail contract of 3rd June 1947 bound David MacBrayne Ltd to providing a new twice-daily service by motor launch between Oban and the pleasant little island of Lismore. Accordingly the Company had acquired in December 1946 the former hospital launch Galen, built in 1941 under the auspices of Glasgow Corporation (acting for the Port Health Authority) to ferry stretchered patients ashore from ships in the Clyde anchorage. The craft had a cabin, naturally, and was carvel-built, with two watertight bulkheads and a transom stern.

She was renamed LOCHNELL and took up the Lismore service on 30th June 1947. Initially she could carry 25 passengers in summer and twelve in winter. At first her hull was blacl; then light blue; then dark blue with red boot-topping. Nor did LOCHNELL have a funnel; exhaust gases vented through her sides.

She proved a reliable little ship and the new, steady service to Lismore was much appreciated. She was normally relieved by one of the open “red boats” stationed at Iona. In 1958 LOCHNELL was re-engined, and in 1965 she traded stations with LOCH TOSCAIG, assuming the Kyle of Lochalsh-Applecross service as well as a regular morning cruise, and also the thrice-weekly mail run to Kylrhea in place of APPLECROSS.

In May 1968 LOCHNELL was transferred again, to the Tobermory-Mingary run in succession to LOCHBUIE, and on this she spent the rest of her MacBrayne career, being relieved by assorted chartered launches. On 1st January 1973 she was not transferred to Caedonian MacBrayne Holdings Ltd and remained registered to David MacBrayne Ltd.

From 1976 she also started tendering to IONA at Tobermory, the car ferry at that time being the normal winter vessel for Coll and Tiree.

The passenger-only route to Mingary became an increasing embnrassment to CalMac and in 1980 they successfully negotiated to reduce it to a summer-only service. LOCHNELL retired on 7th March 1981, giving way to the launch STAFFA and retreating to lay-up at Shandon. She was sold to TBJ Marine Ltd of Dumbarton and handed over on 10th June, 1981, and has since had a variety of private owners

Information courtesy of ships of calmac.

Largs Victoria Esplanade

Norwegian Visitor

A visitor from Norway ,the picture was taken in July 2007, unfortunately I never managed to catch her name.

Kyles Of Bute, The Narrows.

Kyles Of Bute, The Narrows.

TS Duchess of Montrose (1930) or Hamilton (1932).

James Watt Dock

SD Eva,Minna,Alba na mara,Ronja Viking.

RV Aora

R.V. Aora is a 22 m survey & research vessel based at the University Marine Biological Station on the isle of Millport