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FLEET FEATURES
Main Fleet Features
Special Features, stories and articles about the ships and their pasts, as well as fascinating accounts and stories of ships both past and present...
Click on an Article Title to Read on.
 
 THE FLEET
Island Class
   An illustrated article which goes into detail about the fleet of eight small bow-loaders and the major part they played in
   enhancing transport links around the west coast.

Loch Class
   Following on the the Island Class article, this piece illustrates the next chapter in the story, when demand exceeded
   capacity and newer, larger ferries were brought in.

Streakers
   An illustrated account of the coming of the second generation of Upper Clyde ferry and the great improvements
   associated with their arrival over 30 years ago.

Isle of Cumbrae
   An illustrated article to commemorate Isle of Cumbrae's 30th anniversary.

Hebrides On Trials
   An illustrated article showing Hebrides's brief stint on the Oban based services in 2007. NEW!

The Secret Ships
   A little-known fact about the 1964 Western Isles trio; Hebrides, Clansman and Columba.

"Just the two of us"
   Sister ships have always been a part of the CalMac fleet - see some of the more recent ones here.

Where Are They Now?
   Speaks for itself! See here where previous fleet embers ended up in their post-CalMac life.

Pioneer's Last Trip Round The Small Isles
   Relieving for the Lochnevis one last time.

Suilven Sails On!
   The old Stornoway favourite has found herself all over the world since her departure from the fleet in 1995 - see how
   she got on.

Bute Ferry Co's Kyles Boats
   A brief history of the Colintraive-Rhubodach car ferries across the Kyles of Bute run by the Bute Ferry Co.
 

 HOW DOES...?
Loading Methods
   Illustrated article which shows the various methods employed over the years for loading cargo an goods onto the ships.

Voith-Schneider Units
   A fascinating piece which shows how this revolutionary propulsion system has benefited the smaller vessels in the
   fleet

What Is...?!
  
Ever seen something onboard, or at a terminal and wondered 'what on earth is that?' - well read on and you may find
   your answer!
 
 HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED!
Traditional Mail Boats
   A rare reminder of the days before roll on-roll of, when MacBraynes operated mail steamers to far off and remote
   communities.

Ferry Boats
   Looking back to the days before the Loch Buie and the Morvern, when Iona was served by a fleet of small launches.

Kyles Ferries
   Before 1997 the tiny island of Scalpay had no bridge. This article looks back to the ferries that provided a lifeline to
   Scalpay's residents.

Past Clyde Steamers

Past Fleet Movements
   A brief description of vessel movements before SoC Fleet News came into being.

Small Ferries - Kyles of Bute
   Going back to the early days of the Kyles of Bute crossing from Colintraive to Rhubodach. No-one would ever have
   imagined that a ship the size of the Loch Dunvegan would operate the route now.

A Tryst in the Kyles

The Inner Isles Mail Run
   How the service to Coll, Tiree, Barra and South Uist used to be run - a stark contrast to today's service.

Racing To Rothesay
   A description of the famous races once run between Waverley and the firm favourite Pioneer.
 
 THE PAST FLEET
Ships at War

The Changing Chieftain

Duchess of Montrose vs Saint Columba (Part 1 - The Queens Alexandra)

Duchess of Montrose vs Saint Columba (Part 2 - The War Years)

Clyde Turbine Steamers

Waverley and QMII in Competition

The Loss of Loch Seaforth
 
 PICTORIAL SPECIALS
Isle of Lewis & Suilven - First & Last
   Suilven bows out as the new Isle of Lewis arrives to take up duties at Stornoway.

SS Hebrides 1898
   A brief feature into one of the companies vessels and crew that served the remote St Kilda connection.

Saturn's Trip to Islay
   See the Saturn out of her normal sphere of operations.

Loch Shira's Launch
   The launch of CalMac's newest vessel was covered by our chief news reporter and filmed by our DVD department.

30 Years of the Island Class
   Picture special marking the 30th anniversary of the launch of MV Raasay - last member of the Island Class

Claymore at Dover
   Ex-CalMac fleet member makes a trip south!

A Day on Clansman
   Thirteen hours on the same ferry on its weekly crossing to Barra via Tiree - or not as the case may be!

Caledonian Isles Overhaul 2006
   A brief pictorial account of the Arran ferry's recent overhaul in Aberdeen.

Bute's Arrival
   A pictorial account of the new Wemyss Bay - Rothesay ferry's journey across from her home in Poland via the English
   Channel and Irish Sea

SS Claymore's Cabin
   A little piece of MacBraynes history rests in a rather landlocked position...

12 Hours on the 'Lord'
   See the pictures and read the account of when Steve and Dave started their day in Castlebay and finished it at Port
   Askaig. Their means of transport was the well-travelled and reliable Lord of the Isles

How We Get Those BIG PICS
   Is it a bird, is it a plane?....Nope its....

Dodging the Reefs
   How come it takes a whole hour to cross the relatively narrow Sound of Harris? See here.

"Through the Worst of it!..."
   See some of the truly awful conditions the ships have to contend with you on a regular basis.

"Old and New"
   A picture special showing some of the older CalMac ships with their younger counterparts (and in some cases - their
   replacements)

Hebridean Isles at Stromness
   Once a year recently its been the job of the Hebridean Isles to relieve her half fleet mate on the NorthLink Scrabster - Stromness crossing.

More BIG PICTURES
   Some more previews of the stunning aerial pictures taken from Stornoway Helicopter 'Mike Uniform'.

BIG PICTURES - THEY'RE BACK!
   Stunning aerial pictures taken by Chris Murray from the Stornoway Coastguard Helicopter.
 
 READERS STORIES
We Can But Dream! (Robin Copland)

Seven Short Blasts; A Hebridean Odyssey 2003 (Derek Finlayson)

Fancy Dress Gathering on Skye (Simon Hood)

Memories of the 1960s (Robin Copland)

A Grand Day on Waverley (Robin Copland)
 
 SOMETHING TO ADD....?
If you have an article, some images or anything else you would like to see added to the Features pages then please contact us here.


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