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LOCH LINNHE arrived at Gigha to relieve LOCH RANZA, the rostered vessel on the Tayinloan-Gigha route on Sunday 28^th. LOCH RANZA left for the wires at

Gourock prior to going to Ardmaleish for her overhaul. She sailed via The Kilbrannan Sound and the Kyles of Bute.

LORD OF THE ISLES returned to Oban on Christmas Eve having spent three nights relieving MUIRNEAG on the Stornoway freight service. She carried out a sailing to Colonsay on Boxing Day.

LORD OF THE ISLES sailed from Oban to the Outer Isles on Saturday 20^th. She stayed overnight at Lochboisdale from where she sailed to Stornoway to relieve MUIRNEAG at 08.20. Arrival time at Stornoway was 14.15.

ISLE OF LEWIS sailed to an amended timetable on Saturday. She left Ullapool at 06.00, 12.45 and 19.15. She sailed ex Stornoway at 09.30 and 16.00.

LOCH STRIVEN left Campbeltown and sailed for Tobermory where she spent Saturday night. She arrived back at Sconser at 13.30 on Monday 22^nd. Her fleet mate, LOCH LINNHE, sailed to Tobermory for lay-up.

LOCH BHRUSDA and LOCH PORTAIN were both disrupted by the weather on Sunday 21^st.

Ferry services throughout the Western Isles were disrupted by the weather on Friday 19^th.

The morning run to Colonsay by ISLE OF MULL was cancelled. She managed to sail to Craignure but stayed there after 16.00.

LOCH BHRUSDA (Ardmhor-Eriskay), LOCH PORTAIN (Berneray-Leverburgh), LOCH RIDDON (Fionnphort-Iona), LOCH LINNHE (Sconser-Raasay), LOCH RANZA (Tayinloan-Gigha) and LOCHNEVIS (Mallaig-Small Isles-Armadale) all remained tied up in port.

HEBRIDEAN ISLES arrived back at Kennacraig ready to take up her roster on the Islay route the following day.

LORD OF THE ISLES left Kennacraig on Friday evening in readiness for an early run to Colonsay on Saturday morning and an afternoon sail to the Outer Isles.

LOCH PORTAIN ran nearly two hours late on Thursday 18^th due to the weather. Her 08.15 from Berneray did not depart until 10.00.

LORD OF THE ISLES diverted to Port Askaig at 07.00 on Thursday. ISLE OF ARRAN did likewise at 09.45. LORD OF THE ISLES departed from Port Askaig forty-five minutes late but made up the time with a strong tale wind and arrived back at Kennacraig at 12.05.

The annual joint meeting with the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society was held on Friday December 19^th. This year it was the turn of the West Highland Steamer Club to host the evening.

The speaker was Mr David Rodger, chairman of Waverley Excursions. However Mr Rodger was speaking in his former role of General Manager of Hebridean Cruises, owners of the cruise ship HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS, formerly the Caledonian MacBrayne vessel, COLUMBA.

Despite being involved with HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS for only a short spell Mr Rodger was able to talk about the ship with authority and affection.

Slides were shown of the ship in her former role as a car ferry and also in her present role as a cruise ship. The slides were able to portray the changes in the appearance of the ship during the stages of her conversion and reconstruction.

A PowerPoint presentation, which described the interior of the ship and a promotional video were also shown.

The next Club meeting is on Friday January 30^th when the Club President, Mr Ian Somerville, gives his Address entitled “Hebridean Panorama”.

All meetings are held in The Kirk Lounge, Renfield St Stephens Church Hall, Bath Street, Glasgow commencing at 19.30.

Councillor Allan Henderson, Lord Provost of Lochaber, is calling upon Highland Region Council to lead the campaign for a new ferry service from Mallaig to Lochboisdale.

The move follows the Scottish Government’s rejection of the plan by South Uist landowners Storas Uibhist’s plan to use the former Caledonian MacBrayne vessel CLAYMORE for a daily service on the route.

Mallaig Community Council, Lochboisdale Community Council and Storas support the plan, while Barra and Vatersay representatives are also demanding daily sailings to the mainland at times, which link with public transport for onward journeys. Opinion is mixed on Barra, Vatersay, South Uist and Eriskay on whether Oban or Mallaig is the best option for improved ferry services.

Western Isles Council intends to consult all affected communities on the issue. Councillor Henderson said Storas was attempting to augment existing services by creating a daily link to the mainland from Barra and South Uist, a right he says, “everyone should expect in the 21^st century”.

After months of disrupted sailings and debates, islanders on Jura are no further on with their ferry service, despite two meetings with the ferry owner, Argyll and Bute Council and the ferry operator, ASP Seascot.

The ferry stub at Port Askaig can’t be used at certain states of the tide and the new linkspan at Port Askaig, part of the pier’£13 million re-development, can’t be accessed when the Caledonian MacBrayne vessel is in port. This has caused disruptions and cancellations.

At a recent meeting the islanders were told the service would carry on as it is.

ISLE OF MULL departed from the James Watt Dock on Monday 1^st December at 11.15 and carried out sea trials en route to Gourock where her crew loaded their cars and sailed to Oban.

She spent Tuesday morning at the North Pier while LORD OF THE ISLES maintained the Craignure service. ISLE OF MULL picked up her roster in the afternoon allowing LORD OF THE ISLES to sail south to Islay to support ISLE OF ARRAN.

On Wednesday ISLE OF ARRAN sailed from Port Ellen at 07.00 while her fleet mate picked up the roster normally occupied by HEBRIDEAN ISLES. She is still at Greenock where she is undergoing her winter overhaul.

The Iona vessel, LOCH BUIE, left Rothesay on Friday 5^th and sailed to Gourock where she will remain, at least, until the New Year. Her relief vessel, LOCH RIDDON, is maintaining the Fionnphort-Iona service while essential repair work is carried out on the slipway at Iona. A restricted timetable will remain in force, on this route, for the foreseeable future.

The Sconser-Raasay vessel, LOCH STRIVEN, completed her overhaul at Ardmaleish on Friday 12^th and moved the short distance along the coast of Bute to Rothesay where she will tie up probably at the Inner Berth at Rothesay Pier. She is being relieved by LOCH LINNHE, which is being relieved on the Tobermory-Kilchoan route by the Oban spare small vessel, RAASAY.

The weather took a nasty turn on Friday forcing LOCHNEVIS to miss her Small Isles service from Mallaig. On Saturday she called at all the islands on her roster to make up for the missed calls the previous day.

Interestingly LORD OF THE ISLES carried on sailing to Port Ellen as usual instead of diverting to Port Askaig.

On Monday 15^th the 13.45 Stornoway-Ullapool run and the 17.15 return were cancelled. The overnight freight service is also cancelled.

The West Highland Steamer Club Newsletter No. 78 has been published and sent out to the membership. An extract from the Newsletter featuring CORUISK has been posted on the Newsletter Page on this website.

The Caledonian MacBrayne ferry, ISLE OF MULL, was launched on Tuesday 8^th December 1987 from the Port Glasgow yard of Appledore Ferguson Shipbuilders Ltd.

Named by HRH Princess Alexandra, she was being fitted out when it was found that she had a serious deadweight problem. Despite being perfectly safe with outstanding accommodation, her carrying capacity fell far short of specification.

Replacing CALEDONIA, ISLE OF MULL entered service, from Oban to Craignure, on 11^th April 1988 and, in all other aspects, was a complete success. She was taken off the run in October 1988 and sailed to Middlesbrough where she was dry-docked and cut in two. A 5.4 prefabricated section was fitted in forward of the funnel. The operation, at the builder’s expense, was quickly proved to be successful.

After a linkspan was built on Colonsay, GLEN SANNOX was no longer required and the Mull ferry included Colonsay in her roster. Since 1993 an extra ferry has been based in Oban during the summer allowing ISLE OF MULL to concentrate on the Craignure run while maintaining the Colonsay run in winter.

She has deviated from her roster from time to time and has relieved at Stornoway and has also made an appearance at Coll, Tiree, Barra and Lochboisdale.

During the winter of 2007 she relieved CALEDONIAN ISLES on the Ardrossan – Brodick route for the first time. However, due to adverse weather conditions, this was not a great success.

The Club’s 25^th Anniversary Lunch was held on board the vessel on Saturday 27^th March 1993. The 40^th Anniversary Lunch, on Saturday 6^th October 2007,was held on board the same vessel. To mark the occasion, the Club presented Captain Kenny Elder with a framed photograph of his ship.

A nominated Club cruise on Saturday 1^st December last winter from Ardrossan to Brodick was cancelled as the vessel was diverted to Gourock.

This year is the 20^th Anniversary of ISLE OF MULL, a vessel which has given sterling service to Caledonian MacBrayne. There is no doubt that she will give many more years of service to the company and to the people of Mull, the island from which she takes her name.

ISLE OF MULL is featured on the December page of the 2008 Club calendar. She is pictured on her own route between Oban and Craignure off Duart Castle on 10^th June 2006. Photograph: Iain McPherson.

It is well known that when David MacBrayne Ltd took over the business of McCallum, Orme & Co Ltd on 1^st January 1948 they acquired the steamers DUNARA CASTLE (1875) and HEBRIDES (1898). Less known is the fact that the company also took over four ferryboats and the cargo vessel CHALLENGER.

This 151 ton steamer, just over 100 feet in length, was built in Aberdeen by Hall, Russell in 1897 and entered the McCallum, Orme fleet in December 1935 by which time she had already had three owners. She ran all year round from Glasgow to the Hebrides, taking livestock and cargo to Colonsay, Skye and most of the Outer Isles.

CHALLENGER did not last long in the MacBrayne fleet. She was withdrawn and sold for scrap after only eleven months service, largely because she was unreliable mechanically and suffered from frequent breakdowns.

She spent the summer of 1948, following the withdrawal of DUNARA CASTLE, sailing to Coll, Tiree and the west of Skye, calling at Uig, Dunvegan, Loch Pooltiel, Portnalong, Carbost and Elgol, as well as Soay.

CHALLENGER is pictured on the River Clyde on the October page in the 2008 Club calendar. Photograph: The Late G E Langmuir.

The motor launch HIGHLANDER, which was owned by Mr Bruce Watt of Mallaig, was purchased at the end of 1963 for the service from Kyle of Lochalsh to Toscaig.

She was renamed APPLECROSS and, in addition to the Toscaig mail run, she carried out forenoon cruises from Kyle of Lochalsh three days a week.

In the spring of 1965 she relieved on the Tobermory-Mingary route and then went to join the small fleet of craft engaged on the Iona route.

When the Island Class vessel MORVERN arrived in 1979, APPLECROSS remained at Iona as back-up vessel.

In 1981 she returned to Tobermory for the Mingary route and also acted as tender when the pier was being rebuilt.

She is featured on the April page on the 2008 club calendar in the Red Boat Montage.