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The Newsletter has been published by the West Highland Steamer Club since 1970. Some supplementary Newsletters were also published by the Club covering the years since 1935 until the start of the official Newsletter. These supplementary Newsletters, when they were produced, were made available for sale to the membership of the Club.

As the club progresses into 2009 the title of the publication will change to “The Journal” and will have a new modern front cover to mirror the change.

At this stage it seems appropriate to pay tribute to those who have made a serious commitment to the publication of well in excess of one hundred Newsletters. These publications have contained a myriad of information on all aspects of the various ships of Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd. and their West Coast predecessors, David MacBrayne Ltd. over a period spanning some seventy years.

Until his untimely passing in 1996 the Newsletters were produced in whole by the late James Aikman-Smith who gathered all information, wrote the texts, took the photographs and thereafter produced and published the document in his famous foolscap format – a Herculean task.

Jim, also, as a labour of love, produced the supplementary Newsletters for sale to members (incidentally he also produced the Club Calendar from its start in 1977 until 1996).

Since 1996, Ian McCrorie has procured most of the ship information. The texts during this period have been written by Derek Crawford. On one occasion, on Derek’s unavailability through illness, the text was written by Ian Colquhoun. For ten years until his death in 2006 Hamish Stewart acted as photographic editor. Many of his famous pictures appeared in the Newsletter. These he often supplemented with members submissions. During this period, one of the founder members of the Club, Robin Love, acted as editor of the publication.

Since 2006 Robin love has also acted as picture editor, looking after the many welcome submissions from the membership.

A huge vote of thanks is due to all these persons and also to those of you who have submitted either or both information and photographs.

The Club hope the new Journal will be equally successful and are delighted to announce that the same production team has agreed to continue in their respective positions. The Club also look forward to your continued input to the new publication.

The sequence of numbering will continue with the first edition of the Journal. An extract from Journal No. 79 featuring the Island Class vessel RAASAY has been posted on the Newsletter Page on this website.

As the website is currently being upgraded visitors to the site should still refer to the Newsletter Page to read this extract from the Journal.

Caledonian MacBrayne has played down calls for a new service from Mallaig to Lochboisdale, which could possibly involve catamaran vessels.

SNP councillor Roy Pederson, who represents an Inverness ward on Highland Council and who is also a transport consultant, has called for a new ferry between Mallaig and Lochboisdale to boost the island’s economy following the announcement of plans for 125 job losses at missile testing facilities on South Uist and Benbecula

The Ministry of Defence, one of the largest employers on South Uist and Benbecula intends to cut jobs at its missile testing bases across the West Highlands and announced a series of job losses throughout the area last week.

Mr Pederson said that a catamaran could be based in Lochboisdale and complete two return journeys daily to Mallaig allowing passengers five hours in Fort William.

However a source at CalMac said that there were huge question marks over catamarans and whether they were suitable for the more exposed routes operated by CalMac on the west coast.

The former Isle of Rum flit boat RHOUMA is being offered for sale by the island’s owners, Scottish Natural Heritage.

Built in 1971 of wooden construction, RHOUMA is an “Orkney-type” open workboat, and has not seen service for nearly three years. She is offered for disposal in an “as seen condition”. She is fitted with a relatively new Perkins Sabre engine with approximately 500 hours working time on it, and a marine band radio and compass.

The Jura car ferry, EILEAN DHURA, returned to normal service on Tuesday evening, following repairs and successful trials.

The ferry had to be taken off the Port Askaig-Feolin Ferry route because of problems with its propeller shafts and water pump two weeks ago.

In the meantime the island has been served by the Caledonian MacBrayne vessel EIGG, which had taken over from Jura’s relief ferry MARGARET SINCLAIR, which had a prior commitment on another route.

As EILEAN DHURA returned on Tuesday it helped EIGG clear a backlog of busy traffic, as both vessels ran concurrently.

Despite being criticised by islanders for a lack of communication over the problems, Argyll and Bute Council received praise this week from the island’s community council chairman, William MacDonald, for its swift action.

Mr MacDonald said: “The council did a good job of getting EIGG to us as quickly as possible so we thank them for that”.

Another breakdown of Jura’s only car ferry sparked mass confusion on the island after it was claimed it could be without vehicular access for four days.

The ‘unreliable’ EILEAN DHURA, which runs between Port Askaig, Islay and Feolin, Jura broke down last week and was replaced with a relief ferry, MARGARET SINCLAIR, which could only cover the run until Sunday.

Unsure whether there would be a vehicle ferry for almost a week, the island’s hotel cancelled bookings, the shop cancelled stock orders and the distillery shut down production.

Now islanders are claiming frustration caused by the unreliable ferry has been replaced by anger over limited communication from the ferry operators, ASP SeaScot and Argyll and Bute Council.

One said: ‘I don’t know what happens elsewhere but there was nothing to warn visitors there may not have been a ferry this week and there was no information getting to the islanders. That’s when the rumours start and everyone just gets confused.’

Islay-based councillor Robin Currie said: ‘Leaving the island without vehicular access would have been unacceptable and I told the council that. Would they think of closing a road into a mainland village for a week? I don’t think so.

‘Credit where it is due, they came up with a solution, but this highlights what we have been saying for a number of years: EILEAN DHURA needs to be replaced.’

Donald Ewen Darroch, of Islay and Jura Ferry Company, said: ‘We could do with a slightly larger and more reliable vessel than EILEAN DHURA but these things don’t just appear – there needs to be the funding and justification for it.’

A spokeswoman for Argyll and Bute Council said it had six ferries, one of which was 36 years old and another at 20 years old.

There is also a policy within the council to await the outcome of the Scottish government’s Ferries Review.

Meanwhile, Caledonian MacBrayne has responded to growing frustrations on Islay that the island’s second ferry, ISLE OF ARRAN, continues to be used as the company’s ‘spare vessel’, being removed at a moment’s notice to cover other routes.

Last Saturday it replaced CLANSMAN, which broke down en route to Coll and Tiree – meaning Sunday sailings between Port Ellen and Kennacraig were cancelled, as were two Monday morning sailings.

Caledonian MacBrayne managing director Phil Preston said: ‘ISLE OF ARRAN is CalMac’s spare vessel and, although she is deployed on the Islay route, this unforeseen set of circumstances meant there was no alternative

The Caledonian MacBrayne ferry EIGG, normally on the Lismore route, sailed down to Port Askaig yesterday afternoon to deputise on the Port Askaig-Feolin Ferry (Jura) route after the local Mull vessel MARGARET SINCLAIR was recalled for scheduled duties.

She was operating on the route after the Argyll and Bute Council ferry EILEAN DHIURA suffered from mechanical problems.

The islanders of Jura had to make do with a fishing boat operating a passenger only service prior to MARGARET SINCLAIR stepping in to fill the breach.

Services to Coll and Tiree were brought to a standstill on Friday after a mechanical failure on Caledonian MacBrayne’s CLANSMAN.

The vessel, which was two hours into its journey to the islands when a fault was detected, turned around and limped back to Oban. Stranded passengers were offered overnight accommodation and meals in the town, or travel to the islands by a different route.

The following day CalMac were forced to re-organise many of its scheduled services and bring ISLE OF ARRAN from the Kennacraig-Islay run to Oban in order to free-up a vessel to take passengers to Coll and Tiree and beyond. The ferry eventually arrived in Castlebay, Barra in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Argyll and Bute councillor Gordon Chalmers, who is based on Mull and who was directly affected by the disruption, was initially annoyed until he spoke with CalMac’s regional manager, Ian Fox.

“Mr Fox gave me a detailed explanation of the disruption to the service at the weekend” said Mr Chalmers.

“I have to congratulate CalMac on re-organising the ferries and causing as little disruption as possible”.

The Lismore website www.isleoflismore.com/ is going from strength to strength and has added a feature about walks on the island, which grades the difficulty and estimates the time required for each walk.

It is possible to take a virtual look at each walk and download the information. So far there are five walks and they all take their starting points from either the Point or Achnacroish ferries.

Caledonian MacBrayne is assuring its customers that it has no plans to introduce a passport style system for customers travelling to the Scottish islands

The question was asked of the ferry company after passengers on other Scottish ferries travelling to Orkney and Shetland were requested to produce photo identification before boarding ship.

Both Caledonian MacBrayne and the Home Office have confirmed there are no plans to introduce photo ID checks before boarding a ferry to the islands.

A coach and cruise outing has been arranged for Saturday 25^th July 2009 through the good offices of Lawrence Macduff and using his preserved MacBrayne AEC coach. The outing will be subject to a minimum of 15 passengers.

Coach tour round Bute with stops at Ettrick Bay and the Kingarth Hotel, Kilchattan Bay, where bar meals are available. It is hoped that the coach may be at Rothesay for the arrival of Waverley and also that pictures may be available in the Kyles.

The fare for the round trip excluding food will be £20.00. There is no reduction for children. Please state whether you will be joining the trip at Gourock or Wemyss Bay.

Bookings should be made to Robin Love, 29 Cyprus Avenue, Elderslie, Renfrewshire, PA5 9NB, stating the number of tickets required and enclosing a stamped addressed envelope.

WAVERLEY was blessed with glorious weather during her five days of cruising amongst the Western Isles this year. She was well patronised with excellent passenger numbers every day.

200 people boarded the ship at Glasgow on Friday 29^th May. After calls at Greenock and Campbeltown 400 were on board for the journey round the Mull of Kintyre and up to Oban.

On Saturday WAVERLEY left Oban at 10.00 bound for Inverie with calls at Tobermory and Armadale. 700 people were on board for the journey to Inverie where she arrived at 15.30. After thirty minutes ashore WAVERLEY retraced her steps back to Oban calling, again, at Armadale and Tobermory.

A healthy number of passengers were already on board when WAVERLEY arrived at Fort William at 09.35 on Sunday morning having left Oban at 07.00.

The paddler left Fort William at 10.00 with another 100 passengers. The clear sky revealed spectacular views of Ben Nevis with a covering of snow still on the summit. After calling at Oban we were bound for a cruise south past the Isles of the Sea, through the Gulf of Corryvreckan and round the lochs of Crinan, Craignish and Melfort.

ISLE OF MULL was leaving Oban outward bound for Craignure as CLANSMAN was arriving back having completed sea trials.

She blew a turbocharger in her port engine while sailing out to Coll and Tiree on Friday. Repairs were not effected in time for her to sail to Castlebay and Lochboisdale on Friday night.

LORD OF THE ISLES filled in for CLANSMAN and ISLE OF ARRAN was drafted in from Kennacraig necessitating an amended timetable on the Islay route.

The cruise ships ASTOR and QUEST were at anchor in the bay. QUEST was anchored in Ardantrive Bay in the shelter of Kerrera, while ASTOR dominated the scene in the middle of Oban Bay.

Our departure from Oban was delayed by the arrival of LORD OF THE ISLES inward bound from Castlebay and Lochboisdale.

With over 600 on board WAVERLEY reversed out of the North Pier and sailed round the north of Kerrera and turned south for the day’s cruise.

The Isles of the Sea, also known as The Garvellachs, were most prominent to the west while Colonsay could clearly be seen further to the south.

The Garvellachs are three islands. The largest, to the north, is called Garbh Eileach. The remains of a monastery can be found on the south island, Eileach an Naoimh. The smaller island in the middle is called A’Chuli.

To take advantage of the tide we sailed through the Gulf of Corryvreckan from west to east, the first time WAVERLEY has sailed through the Gulf in this direction.

WAVERLEY was sailing at sixteen knots as she entered the Gulf and was carried through at a remarkable twenty-two knots.

We sailed across to Loch Crinan, our first loch on the cruise. The Crinan Canal enters the sea at this point.

Opened in 1801, the Crinan Canal carries small vessels over from Ardrishaig on Loch Fyne, offering them a short cut instead of sailing round the Mull of Kintyre.

WAVERLEY used to call at Crinan Pier, but has not done so for a few years as the pier is in a poor state of repair.

After leaving Loch Crinan WAVERLEY poked her bow into Loch Craignish, sailed through Dorus Mor, another notorious stretch of water, and headed north towards Loch Melfort.

From Loch Melfort we turned south and sailed through Shuna Sound, which lies between the islands of Shuna and Luing.

At the south end of Luing we turned north and retraced our passage back to Oban, sailing up the east coast of Scarba and through the Sound of Luing.

ISLE OF ARRAN was at the linkspan in Oban as we entered the bay through the Sound of Kerrera. ASTOR and QUEST were still at anchor.

WAVERLEY left Oban again for a Highland Ceilidh Cruise back to Fort William. As we sailed north out the bay QUEST berthed at the North Pier.

The Highland Ceilidh Cruise was organised by the Waverley Study Group as part of the Highlands and Islands Festival of Music and Dance. The Oban Gaelic Choir provided the music and entertainment.

As we headed north the mountains and glens took on a new appearance as the evening sun cast a rosy glow over the mountains while the glens were masked in shadows.

After an excellent day’s cruising we arrived back at Fort William at 19.45 where the writer took his leave of the ship. With three hearty blasts on her whistle WAVERLEY reversed out of Fort William Pier.

On Monday 1^st June WAVERLEY left Oban at 10.00 bound for Tiree and a cruise through Gunna Sound having called at Tobermory on the way.

Her spell among the Western Isles for 2009 came to end on Tuesday when she left Oban at 09.00 bound for the Clyde. This time she successfully called at Port Ellen with thirty minutes ashore.

After calling at Campbeltown WAVERLEY sailed across the Clyde to her destination, Ayr, where she arrived at 20.00.

For more information about WAVERLEY cruises check the Waverley Excursions website www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk.

Information about WAVERLEY, her officers, crew and volunteers who help maintain the vessel can be found on The Paddle Steamer Preservation Society Scottish Branch blogsite www.pspsscotland.blogspot.com

Information about the Highlands and Islands Festival of Music and Dance can be found at www.obanfestival.org

More information about paddle steamers, past and present, can be found at Heritage Steamers www.heritagesteamers.co.uk