TS ''Duchess of Hamilton'' was a

Clyde Clyde may refer to: People * Clyde (given name) * Clyde (surname) Places For townships see also Clyde Township Australia * Clyde, New South Wales * Clyde, Victoria * Clyde River, New South Wales Canada * Clyde, Alberta * Clyde, Ontario, a tow ...

passenger excursion steamer, built in 1932 for the

Caledonian Steam Packet Company The Caledonian Steam Packet Company provided a scheduled shipping service, carrying freight and passengers, on the west coast of Scotland. Formed in 1889 to complement the services of the Caledonian Railway, the company expanded by taking over r ...

. She was a popular boat, providing day cruises from

Ayr Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire council area and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With a population ...

and remaining in service until 1970.

History

TS ''Duchess of Hamilton'' was built by

Harland and Wolff Harland & Wolff is a British shipbuilding company based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It specialises in ship repair, shipbuilding and offshore construction. Harland & Wolff is famous for having built the majority of the ocean liners for the W ...

Govan Govan ( ; Cumbric?: ''Gwovan'?''; Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of south-west City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south ba ...

for the

following the success of her sister . Built to replace at

, she was a one-class vessel, carrying saloon class passengers only and had a service speed of around 18 knots. She came under the control of British Railways in 1948, and in 1965 received new livery of a blue hull with red rampant lions on her funnels. Superseded by diesel vessels, she gave her last voyage, to

Campbeltown Campbeltown (; gd, Ceann Loch Chille Chiarain or ) is a town and former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre peninsula. Campbeltown became an important centre for Scotch whisky, and a busy fishing ...

on 28 September 1970. Sold to the Reo-Stakis organisation as a night club/restaurant, she was moved to

Ardrossan Ardrossan (; ) is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in southwestern Scotland. The town has a population of 10,670 and forms part of a conurbation with Saltcoats and Stevenston known as the 'Three Towns'. Ardrossan is located on the east shore ...

for modification, but the project failed and she was broken up, at Troon in 1974.

Layout

''Duchess of Hamilton'' was almost identical to her sister, . Their single class made them spacious, as facilities were not duplicated. She had an "Old English" bar, a tearoom and two lounges – an observation lounge on the promenade deck and below that, a luxurious forward saloon. Aft on the main deck, there was a dining saloon. Crosstrees were added to her mainmast in 1939. The wheel house was originally open but was enclosed in 1948. A cafeteria was installed in 1955 and the following year she was converted from coal to oil burning and was fitted with radar in 1960.

Service

''Duchess of Hamilton'' operated as an excursion steamer from

Troon Troon is a town in South Ayrshire, situated on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland, about north of Ayr and northwest of Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Troon has a port with freight services and a yacht marina. Up until January 2016, P&O Ferrie ...

and

until 1939. During the Second World War she served as a troop carrier between

Stranraer Stranraer ( , in Scotland also ; gd, An t-Sròn Reamhar ), also known as The Toon, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located in the historical parish of Inch in the historic county of Wigtownshire. It lies on the shores of L ...

and

Larne Larne (, , the name of a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic territory) is a town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, with a population of 18,755 at the United Kingdom census, 2011, 2011 Census. It is a major passenger and freight Roll-on/ro ...

and she also tendered in the

. After the war, she ran long distance excursions from

Gourock Gourock ( ; gd, Guireag ) is a town in the Inverclyde council area and formerly a burgh of the County of Renfrew in the west of Scotland. It was a seaside resort on the East shore of the upper Firth of Clyde. Its main function today is as a r ...

and later to Ayr, Arran and

Inveraray Inveraray ( or ; gd, Inbhir Aora meaning "mouth of the Aray") is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is on the western shore of Loch Fyne, near its head, and on the A83 road. It is a former royal burgh, the traditional county town of Arg ...

as well.

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duchess of Hamilton, TS 1932 ships Clyde steamers Ships built in Govan Ships built by Harland and Wolff