SoC HOME FLEET NEWS FLEET LOCATIONS
 THE SHIPS
SHIPS OF THE FLEET
NORTHLINK FERRIES
FLEET FEATURES
2007 - A YEAR IN PICTURES
 THE ROUTES
NETWORK MAP
CROSSINGS
 THE COMPANY
COMPANY HISTORY
PAST LITERATURE
PAST CREW
 MULTIMEDIA
ART GALLERY
FILMS
 SoC-i
SoC FORUM
VANTAGE POINTS
VIRTUAL ISLAND HOPS
 THIS SITE
CONTACT US
HELP
FAQ
SITE UPDATES
YOUR COMMENTS
LINKS
BOOKS
SoC CREW
SoC ONLINE SHOP
 SEARCH SoC

 

CROSSINGS
Main Crossings Small Isles Tender
Small Isles Tender @ Eigg
Crossing Time: Few Min
Last Ship: Laig Bay

 ROUTE TIMELINE:

Ships to Serve: DO THE CROSSING!
Pre 1980: Various Small Vessels
1980 - 2000 Ulva
2000 - 2004: Laig Bay
Additional Ships:
1984 - 1988
Iona (relief)
2005 Ullin of Staffa (Charter)

 Terminal Facilities:

Eigg: Newly completed purpose-built terminal to allow transfer of passengers and goods from ship to shore without the aid of a flitboat. The slipway is located at the end of a long causeway set out into a bay on the south of the island. A local tractor is used to offload the crates of supplies brought in by the ferry.

Various Vessels Calling: Facilities for loading / unloading ranged from doors cut into the side of larger vessels where good could be 'passed' onto waiting vessels, to Hydraulic cranes on vessels such as Pioneer.


 Route History:

Although Eigg is one of the largest of the Small Isles, its approach to the only main pier is not one for a large cumbersome vessel to attempt! The necessity for a Tender in the days before Voith Units was well apparent to get goods to the Island as this operation was highly dependent on the weather amongst other things. Passengers, livestock and cargo all had to be transferred from small flitboats onto an awaiting vessel and vice versa while canting off the islands in open seas. As can be imagined this could be a bit heart stopping at some points! Never the less the experienced Crews handled this set up for many years. Even before the flotilla of MacBraynes vessels there was always a flitboat in operation – sometimes its self sailing to the mainland for the goods in fair weather.
One of the earliest MacBrayne's vessels was the ULVA who became the very last of the rather cute MacBrayne “red boats” and would, remarkably, set the post-war record for company service, surviving almost into the twenty-first century. She was originally ordered by David MacBrayne Ltd to replace the little SOAY at Iona and Staffa but in September 1980 was transferred to Eigg to serve as flitboat in succession to the rather old KILDONAN, acquired by CalMac in 1975 but built as long ago as 1923. ULVA was a little workhorse for the fleet but by early 2000 her deteriorating hull finally forced the Company into building her replacement, and ULVA made her last tendering run at Eigg on Wednesday 20th December.

FB Laig Bay
Pioneer Unloading to FB Laig Bay via Side Door

 The following day her brash replacement LAIG BAY arrived from her builders and, under tow by LOCH LINNHE, ULVA left Eigg on Friday 22nd and was later berthed at Tobermory, awaiting sail. The LAIG BAY was to only last a few years until a revolution in the islands took place. With the help of a European Union grant the Small Isles were to get a service like they had never seen before. This transformation came in 2004 with the arrival of the LOCHNEVIS's (in 2000) and her finished slipways which allowed her to berth at all the islands and unload her cargo via her huge stern ramp. She offered a new level of passenger accommodation and comfort that wasn't even seen on her predecessor the 'wee' LOCHMOR. Greatly improving the service also sadly marked the end of a long list of loyal, faithful and often forgotten about flitboats and closed another chapter in Scottish island shipping.

FB Laig Bay
Hive of Activity Loading to awaiting Pioneer

There is however one last time where you can occasionally see a flitboat out there. During a brief time in the winter it is usually up to one of the Island Class and a small chartered vessel to keep the link open while the LOCHNEVIS is off for annual overhaul - possibly not many of the Islander themselves will miss the flitboats but one or two will look back on there heyday...
Photos by Ian Robertson & Graeme Phanco

SoC Useful Links:
Crossings: Small Isles
To see a more detailed description of the islands and photos, visit Undiscovered Scotland and click on a place.


© ShipsofCalMac 2001-2007 unless otherwise stated | This site is NOT linked to CalMac | Contact Us | Privacy Policy