activities |
| Saturday 28th February 2004 activities West Highland Steamer Club Visit to the cruise ship HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS.
On Saturday 28th of February 2004 Club Members and their families enjoyed a visit to the cruise ship HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS at Oban to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the car ferry COLUMBA to service.
COLUMBA was one of three ships owned by the Secretary of State for Scotland, the other two being CLANSMAN and HEBRIDES. Built by the Hall Russell yard in Aberdeen she entered service in July 1964 on the Oban – Craignure – Lochaline route.
As COLUMBA grew older she was displaced by other ships and started to offer three-day cruises including two cruises to St Kilda.
In 1988 she was sold to Hebridean Cruises Ltd, a company based in Skipton, Yorkshire. After being renamed HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS she was refurbished to a very high standard.
Following a return trip to Craignure on board ISLE OF MULL, not only Club Members but also locals from Oban were warmly welcomed on board HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS. After being split into small groups we were given a tour of the ship including cabins, staterooms, the dining room, library, the bridge and engine room. Everyone was very impressed with the standard of furnishings. Not only that but the size of the ship was very deceptive, so much in, by todays standards, a small ship. Compare the tonnage of COLUMBA at 2014 with the ISLE OF MULL which weighs in at 4719 G.T.
After the tour everyone was treated to afternoon tea served in the lounge. This was an important exercise for the Crew as they were new to the ship and were unfamiliar with her layout and facilities and were about to embark on a shakedown cruise.
Sadly the day came to an end. After a short speech by Club President Robin Love we left the ship thanking the Officers and Crew for their warmth and hospitality.
M V COLUMBA
In August 1958 David MacBrayne Ltd announced that there was going to be an extensive re-organisation of ferry services to the Western Isles. Three new car ferries were to be introduced to service as soon as possible.
This took six years to complete. The main stumbling block was finance. MacBraynes did not have the capital to cover the construction costs of the three ships.
Instead of granting a subsidy to MacBraynes, The Scottish Office built the ships then chartered them back.
Following an Act of Parliament in December 1962 the orders were placed with the tender being won by Hall, Russell & Co Ltd, Aberdeen. It is not generally known that Mr Michael Noble, Secretary of State for Scotland, regretted not giving one of the orders to William Denny & Bros Ltd.
The three ships, HEBRIDES, CLANSMAN and COLUMBA, were registered in Leith but the port of registry was changed to Glasgow at a later date.
COLUMBA was launched on 12th March 1964. She could carry up to 600 passengers during the summer and fifty cars. Her gross tonnage was 2,104. She was 230 ft long and cost £1million to build.
In her early years of service, she went to Leith for winter re-fits.
After trials off Aberdeen COLUMBA came to the Clyde for further trials and dry-docking. Loading trials were carried out at Windmillcroft and Springfield Quays, Glasgow. The last day of trials took place on 29th July.
A new pier was built at Craignure while Lochaline and the North Pier, Oban were altered to accommodate the new ship.
She entered service at 14.35, between Oban and Craignure with two runs per day to Lochaline, on 30th July. She was carrying several hundred passengers, twenty-five vehicles and three caravans.
LOCHEARN and LOCHMOR carried out the service between them prior to COLUMBA entering service.
By December 1964 she had carried 75,300 passengers, 7,246 cars and 333 commercial vehicles.
COLUMBA served David MacBrayne Ltd and Caledonian MacBrayne for twenty-four years and two months. During this time she called at Gourock, Dunoon (to drop a gangway at 08.00 Tuesday 22nd October 1987), Ardrossan, Brodick, Bruichladdich, Port Askaig, Colonsay, Oban, Craignure, Lochaline, Tobermory, Coll, Tiree, Castlebay, Lochboisdale, Tarbert (Harris), Lochmaddy, Uig, Mallaig, Armadale, Kyle of Lochalsh, Raasay, Portree, Ullapool and Stornoway.
During her career with the Company COLUMBA carried out various special sailings and charters. On 6th May 1978 COLUMBA sailed to St Kilda to celebrate the 100th anniversary of David MacBrayne Ltd, circumnavigating all the islands.
One of her more unusual calls occurred on 11th May 1983when she called at Kishorn and Strome Ferry with HRH Prince Charles on board.
On 18th April 1987 she sailed from Largs to Oban via Campbeltown in very foggy conditions while on 2nd April 1988 she sailed to Oban from Largs via Tarbert.
She sailed to Iona and Staffa several times on the Sacred Isle Cruise.
The most unusual grouping of ships was on 5th May 1984 when the Fred Olsen ship BLACK PRINCE, GLEN SANNOX and WAVERLEY lined up with COLUMBA at Craignure.
The final sailing for Caledonian MacBrayne should have been on Saturday 30th October 1988. However this was cancelled due to the weather. The final sailing was actually on Friday 30th September to Colonsay.
The most poignant of all was the last Sacred Isle Cruise on Thursday 22nd September. This cruise goes back to 1829 when Felix Mendelssohn sailed to Iona on MAID OF MORVERN.
The sale of COLUMBA to Hebridean Cruises PLC was agreed in early 1987 and made public in spring 1988. She was sold for £275,000.
COLUMBA left the Clyde on 13th October 1988 under new owners. She was re-named HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS and embarked on a new life as a luxury cruise ship sailing around the Western Isles, which she had come to know so well.
All in all COLUMBA had her place on the west coast of Scotland. A piece of shipping history has been lost with her passing. In her new role as the cruise ship HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS she still adds a sparkle to Oban Bay.
Information drawn from the notes of the Late Jim Aikman-Smith with assistance from Iain Quinn and Robin Boyd.
On a personal note I made many sails to Mull by various routes and, following the demise of KING GEORGE V in 1974, the Sacred Isle Cruise on COLUMBA.
Thanks to Captain Colin Campbell, her regular captain, and Purser Donald MacLean, COLUMBA was always a happy ship.
The catering was always up to a high standard.
Iain Quinn.
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Contact WHSC: info@westhighlandsteamerclub.co.uk