Craignure

As Craignure has, for over forty years, been the terminus of the Mull car ferry, it is a jolt now to be reminded that until 1964 the village did not even boast a pier. Someone or other tendered to the MacBraynes Mull vessel with his launch; but in May 1950 the ferryman of the day, George Clyne, announced he was giving up the service as he could not afford to bring his craft up to Ministry of Transport standards.

There was the usual to-do; 500 residents of Mull and Iona signed a petition, politicians grew interested, and it was finally announced that David MacBrayne Ltd would graciously furnish a suitable little boat certfified for carrying up to fifty passengers. Only that year the Company had just acquired the wee SILVER SPRAY of 1943, and she was pressed into service and appropriately re-named. On occasion CRAIGNURE also relieved LOCHNELL at Lismore.

When the new pier was built for the advent of COLUMBA in 1964, CRAIGNURE was sold to Bruce Watt of Mallaig; and he in turn sold her on to Murdo MacSween of Fort William. In January 1973 she was reacquired by CalMac for the Fionnphort-Iona service, but registered – like all the “red boats” in the name of David MacBrayne Ltd. In August 1979 she was sold to Gordon Grant Ltd of Ionas for the transport of livestock to and from the Treshnish Isles.

Text thanks to John MacLeod