Owner David MacBrayne Ltd Yard number 349 Launched 15 May 1930 Draft 2.7 m | Port of registry Glasgow Out of service 1964 Length 49 m Builder Ardrossan Dockyard | |
Name MV Lochmor
1964 Amimoni (Panama)
1964 Tamis SA (Ezkos Maritime Technical Co Ltd), Piraeus Route Outer Isles mail steamer from Mallaig and Kyle of Lochalsh | ||
MV Lochmor was the David MacBrayne Ltd Outer Isles mail steamer from 1930 until 1964. She was superseded by a new generation of car ferries.
Contents
History
MV Lochmor and her sister MV Lochearn were built by Ardrossan Dockyard. She was launched on 15 May 1930. For much of her career, the skipper was Captain "Squeaky" Robertson, a well known and popular local man.
Together with her sister MV Lochearn, Lochmor was sold to Greek owners on 26 August 1964 and left Scotland for service in the Greek Islands.
Layout
Lochmor was a cargo and passenger boat. She loaded vehicles along with other cargo, using crane and sling.
Service
Lochmor was the Outer Islands mail steamer from 1930 until 1964. She served Tarbert and Rodel (Harris), Lochmaddy (North Uist) and Lochboisdale (South Uist) three times a week from Kyle of Lochalsh and Mallaig, with calls to Glenelg, the Small Isles, Scalpay and Armadale. In the summer of 1963, she sailed out round the south of Skye on Mondays, returning round the north of Skye on Tuesdays. She reversed the route on Wednesdays/Thursdays and made a further "anti-clockwise" outward trip on Fridays. The direct return to Mallaig on Saturday morning left time for the Small Isles (Eigg, Rùm and Canna) in the afternoon, before returning via Mallaig to Kyle, where she spent Sundays tied up. During the tourist season the regular Skye boat took cruises to Loch Coruisk, and Lochmor added Portree to the mail route.
On arrival of the first hoist-loading car ferry, MV Hebrides on the Uig triangle in 1964, Lochmor moved to the Mallaig to Armadale crossing, awaiting MV Clansman later in the same year. Scalpay and the Small Isles were served by their own dedicated vessels.