FLEET FEATURES

Main Fleet Features Small Ferries: Kyles of Bute

When one sees Calmac's large ferry Loch Dunvegan cross the narrows of Colintraive (the swimming narrows) from Rhubodach, it is difficult to imagine the diminutive ferries that started the route for the Bute Ferry Company half a century ago...... Here is a view of two of them - the Eilean Dhu and the Dhuirinish at Rhubodach - the last two of thirteen vessels operated by the company on the route and as newspaper deliverers in the Kyles. These vessels were wooden hulled and in the era of naming vessels in the 'Maid of' style, an earlier craft, the Eilean Buidhe, built for the route by Dickies of Tarbert, Loch Fyne in 1963, was dubbed 'Maid of Plywood'! However she was an interesting craft and introduced the double ended ferry concept to the route. A year after building she was extensively refurbished including the fitting of a jet hydraulic propulsion system. The arrangement of jets made her highly maneouvrable. Dhuirinish was built by Noble at Fraserburgh for Glasgow shipping company J & A Gardner, to serve on their ferry service to Bonawe in Loch Etive where they (still?) operate the quarry. She transferred to the Bute run in 1967 on the cessation of the Bonawe ferry service Eilean Dhu's origins are a bit of a mystery. The three vessels were replaced by the transferred ex Skye ferries Portree and Broadford in 1971-72 following the CSP takeover of the route in 1969. 'Small Ferries : Kyle's of Bute' Text Thanks To Stuart Cameron. More on these ships: PORTREE BROADFORD

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