Clew Bay Queen - formerly Kilbrannan and Arainn Mhor (1972)

Built in 1972 as part of an order of eight vessels, Kilbrannan had a career with CalMac lasting twenty years, in which time she saw service on most of the company's shorter routes (in a relief capacity in some cases). She was built to open a new route between Lochranza on Arran and Claonaig on the Kintyre peninsula, crossing the stretch of water she was named after. Replaced by the larger Rhum (seen later in this feature) the following year, Kilbrannan became a spare unit and saw service up the Clyde at Largs before finding more permanent employment in the Outer Hebrides at Scalpay.

In 1990 Kilbrannan was replaced by a larger sister and resumed a relief role, however her days were numbered because of DTI restrictions on her deadweight capacity imposed the year prior. After giving a last spell in service backing up her sister Morvern at Iona and then relieving at Lochaline, Kilbrannan left Scottish waters for Ireland and the second part of her career, between Burtonport and Arranmore, sailing as the Arainn Mhor on a fifteen minute crossing. Such was her success in her new role, thus demonstrating once again the strengths of her design, that in 1995 when Morvern became available, she too was snapped up and sailed for Arranmore (as did Rhum and Coll three years later).
 

In her current guise as Clew Bay Queen
 

 Morvern (1973)

Although built with the new Lochaline - Fishnish route in mind, like her older sister Kilbrannan, the Morvern spent only a short while on the route for which she was intended. She was replaced by the larger Bruernish after only a few weeks in service and then spent the next few years serving a number of routes including Oban - Lismore, Largs - Cumbrae Slip and Harris - Scalpay before finally being given a route of her own.
It was 1979 before Morvern was assigned a specific route; that between Fionnphort on Mull and the quiet isle of Iona, where new slipways were built for her. She stayed there for 13 years before demand swelled beyond her capability (even with the assistance of one of her sisters at peak periods) and with Loch Buie's apperance in 1992, Morvern went back to a spare role, which she remained in until 1995. It was at this point that she sailed for Irish waters on a six-week charter to Arranmore Island Ferries, then owners of her older sister Kilbrannan. Following this charter, Morvern was then purchased and left Scotland for good.
Unlike her older sister, Morvern was not renamed and still carries the name to this day. She doesn't, however, still work on the Arranmore Island route, for in 2001 she was sold on to Bere Island Ferries, where she was joined in 2003 by one of the former Western Isles Council ferries Eilean na h'Oige. Sadly though, while Morvern is still under Bere Island Ferries ownership, her current condition leaves a hell of a lot to be desired, as these pictures show, comparing her in CalMac colours to her current sorry state. In her current condition it is unlikely she will see passenger service again, with the route being looked after by a fleetmate.
 

Bruernish was the third of the so-called Island Class to be built but she was part of the second batch and her construction was in an early enough stage at the time of Kilbrannan's arrival for lessons to be learned and her design adapted. Consequently she was extended by five feet, as were all subsequent sisters. She entered service on the Lochaline - Fishnish run, replacing the smaller Morvern but she didn't remain there for long. In time she was replaced by the Coll and adopted a relief role. It wasn't until 1979 that she became tied to a new route, intially between Kennacraig and Gigha but with the mainland terminal soon being moved to Tayinloan.
She remained on the year-round route for 13 years before being replaced by the larger Loch Ranza. She then reverted to being a spare vessel, based in Tobermory, and then she then became associated with the Tarbert - Portavadie and Ballycastle - Rathlin runs. Towards the end of her CalMac career she spent much of her time at Oban tied up as spare boat.
She was eventually sold out of the fleet in September 2006 and she sailed for Clare Island in the Republic of Ireland where she was slipped, re-engined and given a new livery (the bottom right photo from the internet showing this). She was then bought by Mr Seamus Boyle of Arranmore and moved to the vicinity of her former fleetmates Rhum and Coll, only this time to work in competition with them!