22/01

In 1970 Iona was launched, in brilliant sunshine and named by Mrs P M Thomas, whose husband Patrick was Chairman of the Scottish Transport Group. The new vessel thus acquired a historic MacBrayne name which – though conserved carefully for Company use by a succession of wee Iona launches – had last been borne by the celebrated paddler of 1863, finally scrapped in 1935 at the splendid old age of 72.