D.J. Henderson's photos

In this final shot from 2007, Waverley is passing the old ferry slipway in Kyleakin, bound for Portree. These 7 shots are maybe a bit repetitive but I hope they work quite well as a set. With a lot of ships, you really need a front, or side, view but this lovely old vessel looks good from any angle. Just above the Ensign on Waverley's stern, one of the Serco range support boats is moored at the "dolphins". These two small, adjacent piers were built to moor one of the ferries overnight, in the days before the 24-hour service was introduced. A better description can be found here.

As Waverley steams towards the Skye Bridge, the village of Kyleakin is now visible in the background. The first official ferry between Kyle and Kyleakin began operation in 1841 and as traffic increased, so did the size of the ferries. The last vessels used, on 16th October 1995 (the day the bridge opened) were the MV Loch Dunvegan and the MV Loch Fyne , which could each carry 36 cars and 200/250 passengers.

Although built to accommodate up to 1,350 passengers, today's modern safety regulations restrict Waverley to a maximum of 860, depending on where she is steaming. Some cruises do sell out but, on this occasion, there were plenty of unsold tickets. According to Waverley Excursions Ltd, they need to generate a minimum of £12,000 every day that Waverley is scheduled to sail.

At 2401 ft, Beinn na Caillach makes a substantial backdrop to this shot, as Waverley steams west, towards the Skye Bridge. Confusingly, there is a second mountain with the same name, the same spelling, and virtually the same height, about 10 miles to the west of this one, just beyond Broadford. In the Gaelic, both of them translate as "The hill of the old woman", which isn't really much help. It's no wonder folk get lost.

Seemingly effortlessly, Waverley can quickly achieve her cruising speed, usually about 13 knots. Her Rankin & Blackmore triple-expansion engine can churn out 2100hp (about the same as a Class 40) and will use about 165 gallons of fuel per mile, or about 8,250 gallons to Portree & back. A minimum of 19 crew is required.

Leaving Kyle pier behind, Waverley sets off for Portree, the main town on Skye. A ship's funnels are an important part of its identity and Waverley has reverted to the original LNER colour scheme of red/black with the white stripe. During her working life, they received a new livery following each change of ownership: BTC buff, then MacBraynes' Red with rampant lions. The hull and paddleboxes have also been restored to their 1947 colours, making her one of the most photogenic ships afloat.

Since entering preservation in 1975, Waverley has been lovingly restored and is reputed to be in better condition than ever before. Cosmetically, she has regained her original 1947 condition but her navigation and safety equipment meets all of the standards required by a modern passenger ship. Her summer season often includes a few days based around Kyle and Skye, offering fans, enthusiasts, tourists, and locals the chance to enjoy stunning scenery aboard one of the finest vessels ever built. This series of images shows the elegant ship leaving Kyle, bound for Portree.

After spending the afternoon cruising around Raasay, Waverley approaches Kyle pier as the voyage draws to a close. The trip had started from Broadford at 09:00 and had called there on the return leg from Raasay. The next day's voyage was to start from Kyle, hence the different route on the way home. This is a rare example of my wife's camera work. I couldn't get this shot, as I was propping up a deck-rail aboard the vessel, so Martha gets the credit for this one.

Built in Kootstertille in 2001, not far from the Red Duchess , the 2595t general cargo ship MV "Scot Isles" was alongside in Kyle to collect timber. Operated by ScotLine, out of Rochester in Kent, the 91m vessel had to improvise slightly when berthing at the busy pier. If you parked a car like that, the wardens would surely be after you.☺

The photo was taken at 5pm but the incoming squall makes it look much later in the day. This globetrotting vessel is the 1285t MV "Red Duchess" operated out of Troon by JST Services, who also owned the road crane being used to discharge the cargo of road-salt. Built at Bergum, Netherlands in 1969, the 76m general cargo ship has since been re-registered in Panama and was last heard of in China in Sept 2017. In her new life, the name TROON is no longer painted on her stern. ☹

The 499t MV "Roy Kristian" is a 40m well-boat, or fish carrier, and is seen alongside Kyle pier in 2013. At that time, the 2001-built vessel was working for fish-farms off the west coast of Scotland, sailing under a Norwegian flag. Since I took this picture, the boat has moved to the other side of the world and is now on long-term charter to Marine Harvest Canada, working out of Vancouver.

Built in 2006, the 3198t, Gibraltar registered, MV "Geise" has called into Kyle on several occasions. Seen here, amongst the palm trees, she is discharging large components for a local windfarm. The sea voyage is the easy bit of this delivery. Once ashore, police escorts are required and various pieces of "street furniture" need to be moved, to make space for the elongated trucks that take the blades on the final stage of their journey.

Built in 2008 and registered in Leith, Edinburgh, the 1459t anchor-handling supply ship, "MV Kingdom of Fife" is the flagship of Briggs Marine, based in Fife on the east coast of Scotland. 61.2m long, the vessel is powered by two big Caterpillar C286-6 diesels and is seen here leaving Kyle pier, with Skye as the backdrop.

Waverley makes a fine sight, cruising past the ruin of Castle Moil at Kyleakin. This ancient Norse fortress was a seat of the Mackinnon clan and levied tolls on traffic long before the Skye Bridge got in on the act, although Findanus and "Saucy Mary" were after shipping, not motorists. The remains have featured in many a calendar.

PS Waverley steams gracefully between Kyle and Kyleakin piers, before turning to call at Kyle with the 09:00 sailing from Broadford. Built on the Clyde by A&J Inglis (now the site of the Riverside Museum of Transport), this elegant steamer has now (2017) passed her 70th birthday and is said to be in better shape than ever before.

Viewed from the railway pier in Kyle, P.S."Waverley" steams parallel with Kyleside in Kyleakin with the 09:00 Broadford - Kyle - Raasay sailing. Now usually known as the "last sea-going paddle steamer in the world", this lovely vessel entered service with the LNER in 1947, commonly working between the railway piers at Craigendoran and Arrochar. Her busy summer seasons now include visits to such far-flung ports as Bristol and London. Contrary to popular belief, this Waverley did NOT go to the Dunkirk evacuation, although she did visit the French coast in more recent times.

After the fiasco that was Fotopic, it would have been too much to bear if Ipernity had gone the same way - some of us still haven't finished rebuilding after the last disaster. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who worked so hard to save this community. I'm sure everyone feels the same way. Thank you again. Dougie from Scotland.

Loki has no idea what's in store for him, poor soul. The Kyle Line is used for many purposes, not just tourists going to Skye. His paws were clean and he was only allowed on the seat long enough to get his picture taken. He normally lies, quite happily, under the seat.