Macbrayne Steamers

For the past one hundred and fifty years the name of MacBrayne has been synonymous with shipping in the West Highlands and Islands of Scotland. David MacBrayne was a partner from 1851 in the firm of David Hutcheson & Co. and when the Hutchesons retired in 1879 David MacBrayne took over the Company and renamed it. That company still operates ferry services today as part of Caledonian MacBrayne. MacBraynes were so much a part of the scene in the West Highlands that there was a popular parody of the psalm The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains, except the Western Isles, which belong to MacBraynes. The company's ships were famous too. Columba was the largest paddle steamer to sail the Clyde and Western Isles while King George V made the cruise from Oban to Staffa and Iona her own for forty years. As well as providing tourist services the MacBrayne steamers and ferries were, and still are, a vital lifeline for the islands of Scotland. Inside the pages of "MacBrayne Steamers" over 200 images of the ships and the localities they visited are featured.