Scottish Ships

This page lists all ships that served with the LNER on its Scottish services. These were inherited from the North British Railway (NBR), Dumbarton & Balloch Joint Line Committee, or were built for the LNER.

The LNER's Scottish shipping interests were divided west and east between the Clyde and the Forth, being mainly rooted in the former services of the North British Railway (NBR).

On the east coast, the NBR had become a shipowner on its take-over of the Edinburgh, Perth & Dundee Railway in 1862. This had brought an involvement with the Tay ferries between Tayport and Broughty Ferry until completion of the Tay Railway Bridge, and the Forth ferries between Granton and Burntisland. From 1867 it also took over the ancient Queensferry passage on the Forth, which continued into LNER ownership until leased out to Wm. Denny & Brothers Ltd. in November 1934. The Granton service was discontinued from 1947.

The Clyde services evolved from those of the North British Steam Packet Company, merged into its parent the North British Railway from 1902 and thence to the LNER in 1923. Having passed to the BTC Railway Executive in 1948, they were transferred to the Caledonian Steam Packet Company in November 1951, being then integrated with the ex-LMS fleet. Three paddle steamers were built for the LNER, the most famous being WAVERLEY which survives to this day. A less direct involvement was with the Loch Lomond excursion steamers via the Dumbarton & Balloch Joint Line Committee, in partnership with the LMS from 1923 as successors respectively to the NBR and the Caledonian Railway.

Clyde Steamers

The following were operated by the NBR and entered service with the LNER:

The following were built for the LNER:

Forth Ferries

Acknowledgments

Compiled by George Robinson.