Steamer Traffic After the Second World War

The Second World War stopped all but essential steamer traffic with only the painted grey Loch Fyne remaining to take the mail to the Kyles villages. When the war was over the Colintraive Pier was in disrepair leading to its closure in1948.

Regular steamer service through the Kyles continued, but they no longer stopped at Colintraive. However, the St Columba slowed down to drop off freight and make a quick transfer to Archie Clark’s boat lying alongside. In 1969 the last regular steamer, the Loch Fyne was withdrawn. Shortly after the ‘new road’ improving access to Tighnabruach opened.

Point to point services became the norm. Passengers now came to Colintraive on the ferry from Weymss Bay to Rothesay, then by bus to Rubodach. Archie Clark, a local resident operated the passenger ferry until the Bute Ferry Company took over in 1950.

British Rail kept up a summer programme of day excursions until the 1990s. Now the last of the paddle steamers, the ‘Waverly’, continues the tradition with a series of excursions during the summer.