The Rothesay tramway was a

narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...

electric

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

way on the

Isle of Bute The Isle of Bute ( sco, Buit; gd, Eilean Bhòid or '), known as Bute (), is an island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, United Kingdom. It is divided into highland and lowland areas by the Highland Boundary Fault. Formerly a constituent isl ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

History

Former Rothesay and Ettrick Bay Light Railway depot 03

The original tramway was opened in 1882 – a horse-drawn gauge tramway running from the promenade at

Rothesay Rothesay ( ; gd, Baile Bhòid ) is the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies along the coast of the Firth of Clyde. It can be reached by ferry from Wemyss Bay, which offers an onward rail ...

Port Bannatyne Port Bannatyne ( gd, Port MhicEamailinn) is a coastal village on the Isle of Bute, Firth of Clyde, Scotland that is home to many steamers. Port Bannatyne developed into the 1900s as a quieter and more unusual alternative to Rothesay. It is a pop ...

. In 1901 the tramway was bought by

British Electric Traction British Electric Traction Company Limited, renamed BET plc in 1985, was a large British industrial conglomerate. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but was acquired by Rentokil in 1996, and the merged company is now known as Rent ...

and closed on 2 March 1902 for modernisation. It was regauged to and electrified. Some horse-drawn vehicles were re-gauged and operated a temporary service until the electrification was complete. Electric services started on 13 August 1902. On 13 July 1905 a extension from

to Ettrick Bay along a reserved right of way was opened. It had been built by Dick, Kerr & Co. On 1 January 1914, control of the company passed to the Scottish General Transport Company.

Fleet

*1-10

Electric Railway and Tramway Carriage Works The United Electric Car Company was a tramcar manufacturer from 1905 to 1917 in Preston, Lancashire, England. History The Electric Railway and Tramway Carriage Works was formed in 1897 registered on 25 April 1898 to acquire works at Preston, ...

1902 Toastracks *11-15

1902 Single-deck saloons *16-20

Brush Electrical Engineering Company Brush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of Locomotive, railway locomotives in Loughborough, England. It is a subsidiary of Wabtec. History Hughes's Locomotive & Tramway Engine Works Henry Hughes had been operating at the Falcon Wo ...

1903 Toastracks

Closure

On 1 June 1932, the company name changed to Western Scottish Motor Traction Company, and the tramway closed on 30 September 1936. The depot in

is still in use as a bus garage.

Bibliography

References

{{Historic UK Trams Railways on Scottish Islands 3 ft 6 in gauge railways in Scotland 4 ft gauge railways in Scotland Railway lines opened in 1882 Isle of Bute Transport in Argyll and Bute 1882 establishments in Scotland Tram transport in Scotland Rothesay, Bute Railway lines closed in 1936