Clyde River Steamer Club

 

My own memories of this day (like most) are prompted to some extent by my photos, but a closer study of the booking form tells the tale more fully with all the options listed.

I have obviously taken the “Route B” option on the form and travelled out via “Juno” to Dunoon and the Loch Eck coach tour to Inveraray, returning from there to Gourock by the Maid.  I recall the coach waiting at Inveraray for the Maid to arrive which would probably confirm that others did the trip in reverse order (Route A), the return timings for the coach would also suggest this.  I’m sure the coach was on hire to the club on this occasion as the whole round trip would not have been possible without the Maid’s (on charter) presence at Inveraray.  It is likely that most members did the complete round trip on board the Maid (Route C) as the coach was a 49 seater and I don’t recall it being particularly busy.

I think the whole Loch Eck steamer tour had been dropped by this time anyway with the demise of regular calls at Inveraray.  The long sail up Loch Fyne was never a great favourite of mine and this may have prompted me to take the coach tour option in the first place.

Another interesting aspect of viewing these old booking forms alongside the photos is that the Tighnabruaich call was obviously not planned and must have been somebody’s bright idea as we sailed past!

 

The two bus photos at Inveraray are a bit “off topic” for CRSC admittedly but still very typical of what was to be seen on the day but taken completely for granted at the time.  These are Western SMT Leyland Leopard coaches operating the No.26 Glasgow – Campbeltown service which would have had a short stop-over at Inveraray.