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MV Arran
MV ''Arran'' was a pioneering Firth of Clyde vehicle ferry introduced by Caledonian Steam Packet Company in 1953. She spent fifteen years on the Upper Clyde crossings, followed by five years at Islay. Initially hoist-loading, via side ramps, these were replaced by a stern ramp in 1973. During her final years with Caledonian MacBrayne, CalMac, she relieved across the network. Several unsuccessful attempts were made to turn her into a floating restaurant, before she was scrapped in 1993. History MV ''Arran'' was the first of a trio of vehicle vessels ordered in 1951 to modernise the Firth of Clyde fleet. Three "general purpose" vessels were planned for the Clyde routes of their names, ''Arran'', and . It rapidly became apparent that greater capacity was required in the summer and winter relief. was launched in 1957. Built by William Denny & Brothers, William Denny, she was launched from their Dumbarton yard on 22 September 1953, the last Clyde vessel to be launched there. The pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kyle Of Lochalsh
Kyle of Lochalsh (from the Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic ''Caol Loch Aillse'', "strait of the foaming loch") is a village in the historic county of Ross-shire on the northwest coast of Scotland, located around west-southwest of Inverness. It is located on the Lochalsh peninsula, at the entrance to Loch Alsh, opposite the village of Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye. A ferry used to connect the two villages until it was replaced by the Skye Bridge, about to the west, in 1995. Geography The village is the transport and shopping centre for the area as well as having a harbour and marina with pontoons for maritime visitors. The Plock offers a local woodland hike and viewpoint over the peninsula. The Plock was formerly home to a golf course. It is owned by the Kyle of Lochalsh Community Trust, who also own the adjacent building which was formerly the toll building for the Skye Bridge. The surrounding scenery and wildlife are regarded as attractions of the village, as is the slow pace of lif ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dunoon
Dunoon (; gd, Dùn Omhain) is the main town on the Cowal peninsula in the south of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is located on the western shore of the upper Firth of Clyde, to the south of the Holy Loch and to the north of Innellan. As well as forming part of the council area of Argyll and Bute, Dunoon also has its own community council. Dunoon was a burgh until 1976. The early history of Dunoon often revolves around two feuding clans: the Lamonts and the Campbells. Dunoon was a popular destination when travel by steamships was common around the Firth of Clyde; Glaswegians described this as going ''doon the watter''. This diminished, and many holidaymakers started to go elsewhere as roads and railways improved and the popularity of overseas travel increased. In 1961, during the height of the Cold War, Dunoon became a garrison town to the United States Navy. In 1992, shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, they closed their Holy Loch base in Sandbank, and neigh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Linkspan
A linkspan or link-span is a type of drawbridge used mainly in the operation of moving vehicles on and off a roll-on/roll-off (RO-RO) vessel or ferry, particularly to allow for tidal changes in water level. Linkspans are usually found at ferry terminals where a vessel uses a combination of ramps either at the stern, bow or side to load or unload cars, vans, trucks and buses onto the shore, or alternately at the stern and/or the bow to load or unload railroad cars. History The first linkspans appeared at the end of the 19th century when train ferries came into operation. Each rail ferry berth has to be specifically designed to make sure that it fitted one class of ship. In most of these vessels it was also possible to carry some road vehicles. By the mid 20th century with the rise of road transport, general purpose Ro Ro ferries started to come into service. Most could use the rail ferry berths but generally they were fitted with stern ramps that had the dual function of gi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Ferries
Western Ferries (Clyde) Ltd (also known as Western Ferries) is a private ferry company with its headquarters in Hunters Quay, Scotland. It currently operates on the Firth of Clyde running a year-round, high-frequency vehicle carrying service between Hunters Quay, near Dunoon, and McInroy's Point, on the outskirts of Gourock in Inverclyde. History In the mid 1960s the islands on the west coast of Scotland were served by two kinds of vessel; mail ferries operated by David MacBrayne Ltd and "Clyde puffer, puffers" – small bulk cargo vessels capable of landing at simple piers or on the beach to discharge coal, lime etc. MacBrayne's also operated a number of cargo vessels out of Glasgow. None of these vessels was equipped to deal with road transport. Three car ferries operated by MacBrayne's were all side-loading and not suited to carrying the sharply increasing growth in tourist traffic or commercial vehicles. In 1966 three people engaged in contracting work on the west coast ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Colonsay
Colonsay (; gd, Colbhasa; sco, Colonsay) is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, located north of Islay and south of Mull. The ancestral home of Clan Macfie and the Colonsay branch of Clan MacNeil, it is in the council area of Argyll and Bute and has an area of . Aligned on a south-west to north-east axis, it measures in length and reaches at its widest point. Geology The Colonsay Group, which takes its name from the island, is an estimated sequence of mildly metamorphosed Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks that also outcrop on the islands of Islay and Oronsay and the surrounding seabed. The sequence has been correlated with the Grampian Group, the oldest part of the Dalradian Supergroup. It includes the meta wackes of the Oronsay Greywacke Formation, the sandstones of the Dun Gallain Grit Formation, the metasandstones and metamudstones of the Machrins Arkose, Kilchattan and Milbuie formations, the sandstones and phyllites of the Kiloran Flags Formation and the phy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gigha
Gigha (; gd, Giogha, italic=yes; sco, Gigha) or the Isle of Gigha (and formerly Gigha Island) is an island off the west coast of Kintyre in Scotland. The island forms part of Argyll and Bute and has a population of 163 people. The climate is mild with higher than average sunshine hours and the soils are fertile. The main settlement is Ardminish. Gigha has been inhabited continuously since prehistoric times. It may have had an important role during the Kingdom of Dalriada and is the ancestral home of Clan MacNeill. It fell under the control of the Norse and the Lords of the Isles before becoming incorporated into modern Scotland and saw a variety of conflicts during the medieval period. The population of Gigha peaked at over 700 in the eighteenth century, but during the 20th century the island had numerous owners, which caused various problems in developing the island. By the beginning of the 21st century the population had fallen to 98. However a "community buy-out" in 2002 h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jura, Scotland
Jura ( ; gd, Diùra; sco, Jura) is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, adjacent to and northeast of Islay. With an area of , and 196 inhabitants recorded in the 2011 census, Jura is more sparsely populated than Islay, and is one of the least densely populated islands of Scotland: in a list of the islands of Scotland ranked by size, Jura comes eighth, whereas by population it comes 31st. The island is mountainous, bare and largely infertile, covered by extensive areas of blanket bog. The main settlement is the east coast village of Craighouse. The Jura distillery, producing Isle of Jura single malt whisky, is in the village, as is the island's rum distillery which opened in 2021. Craighouse also houses the island's shop, church, primary school, the Jura hotel and bar, a gallery, craft shop, tearoom and the community run petrol pumps. North of Craighouse are a number of other small settlements on or near the east coast: Keils, Knockrome, Ardfernal, Lagg, Tarbert, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Craighouse
Craighouse ( gd, Taigh na Creige) is the main settlement and capital of the Scottish Inner Hebridean island of Jura, in Argyll and Bute. In 1971 it had a population of 113. The village is situated on the sheltered east coast of the island at the southern end of Small Isles Bay. Since 2007, a passenger-only ferry service between Craighouse and Tayvallich on the Scottish mainland has operated during the summer months. This service was resurrected by the community after several decades without a direct mainland ferry. Vehicular access to the island now via a small ferry between Feolin on Jura ( south of Craighouse via road) and Port Askaig on neighbouring Islay. Facilities in Craighouse Today Craighouse is the social centre of the island and is home to: * Jura Community Shop, (Post Office, provisions, general goods) * The Jura Hotel * The Antlers Cafe * Community run diesel and petrol pumps * Whisky Island Gallery (photography) * Deer Island Distillery, producing Jura's only ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Port Askaig
Port Askaig ( gd, Port Asgaig) is a port village on the east coast of the island of Islay, in Scotland. The village lies on the Sound of Islay (Caol Ìle) across from Jura. Economy Port Askaig has a hotel, a petrol station and shop next to the port but has very few households. In 2014, it was rated one of the most attractive postcode areas to live in Scotland. Whisky Port Askaig is also the name of a Scotch whisky range, bottled for Speciality Drinks Ltd. The producing distillery is not officially identified but the whiskies are marketed as Islay single malts. The distilleries Caol Ila, Ardnahoe and Bunnahabhain are all located to the north of the port. Transport Water Port Askaig serves as the main port of Islay, sharing passenger services to the Scottish mainland with Port Ellen. It also has a regular service to Feolin, Jura across the Sound of Islay, and in the summer there is also a weekly service via Colonsay to Oban. Port Askaig has been a port for landing passenge ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Port Ellen
Port Ellen ( gd, Port Ìlein) is a small town on the island of Islay, in Argyll, Scotland. The town is named after the wife of its founder, Walter Frederick Campbell. Its previous name, ''Leòdamas'', is derived from Old Norse meaning "Leòd's Harbour". Port Ellen is built around Leodamais Bay, Islay's main deep water harbour. It is the largest town on Islay, only slightly larger than Bowmore and provides the main ferry connection between Islay and the mainland, at Kennacraig. The Port Ellen Distillery was first established in the 1820s and ceased production of Scotch whisky in 1983. The large malting continues to produce for the majority of the distilleries on Islay. History The area around Port Ellen has a variety of archaeological sites covering the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Age periods. There are standing stones at Kilbride, a fort at Borraichill Mor, several chambered cairns, and a chapel at Cill Tobar Lasrach. Nearby lie the ruined remains of the 14th-century Dunyvaig Ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
West Loch Tarbert, Argyll
West Loch Tarbert, Argyll is a long and narrow sea loch on the western side of the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland. Geography The head of the loch lies near the village of Tarbert and it reaches the open sea at Ardpatrick Point some distant. The island of Eilean Ceann na Creige, off the south shore, is connected to the mainland by a causeway. It is the ferry terminal for Islay. History Around the year 1093, Magnus Barefoot, King of Norway had his longship dragged across the isthmus at Tarbert between West Loch Tarbert and East Loch Tarbert as part of a campaign to increase his possessions in the Hebrides. He made an arrangement with King Malcolm III of Scotland that he could take possession of land on the west coast around which a ship could sail. Magnus declared that Kintyre had "better land than the best of the Hebrides", and by taking command of his ship's tiller and "sailing" across the isthmus he was able to claim the entire peninsula, which remained under Norse rule for mo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Millport, Isle Of Cumbrae
Millport (Scottish Gaelic: Port a' Mhuilinn) is the only town on the island of Great Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde off the coast of mainland Britain, in the council area of North Ayrshire. The town is south of the ferry terminal that links the island to the Scottish mainland. Due to its small size, the island and its town are often linked in the minds of visitors and residents and Cumbrae is often referred to as Millport. The island offers views across to the Isle of Arran as well as of its smaller neighbour which lies barely a kilometre away, called Little Cumbrae. The Cumbraes are referred to as the ''Kumreyiar'' in the medieval Norse '' Saga of Haakon Haakonarson''. Etymology The Gaelic name ''Cumaradh'' means "place of the Cymric people", referring to the Brittonic-speaking inhabitants of the Kingdom of Strathclyde. Alternatively, the name Cumbrae may derive from ''Kil Maura'' meaning "cell or church of a female saint". History The Garrison House in the centre of town, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
