The steel steamship Dunmore was launched from the Abbotsinch, Paisley yard of Bow McLachlan and Co Ltd (Yard No 138) on 12th December 1900. She measured 120.3′ x 22.1′ x 8′ and her tonnage was 252 gross tons, 101 net tons. She was powered by a compound steam engine by Bow McLachlan delivering 37 nominal horse power. Her official number was 113926.
Extract Lloyd’s Register 1933.
She was built for James Frew of Glasgow and registered under his company’s ownership (Home Trade Steam Carrying Co Ltd) on 7th February 1901. Multiple ownership changes by various Liverpool, Goole and Hartlepool based businesses followed before she was purchased by Jack Brothers of Glasgow on 10th September 1931. She was renamed Burnside and deployed on the company’s west coast and Irish Sea routes.
Builders GA drawing – Lloyd’s Register
The Burnside left Glasgow on March 3rd 1933 bound for Skye with 30 tons of grain in sacks , 61 barrels of petrol and paraffin, 8 casks of lime and other miscellaneous goods. On the bridge skipper Phineas Miller was in charge and he had a crew of seven seamen aboard. After discharging cargo at various Hebridean ports she reached Loch Eport, North Uist about 2pm on March 13th. She grounded on the soft sandy seabed for about fifteen minutes at the turn of the tide while discharging at Loch Eport but the skipper was not significantly alarmed. She left Loch Eport for Lochmaddy at 3pm that day. At 4pm water was found in the hold , apparently coming from the aft end of the hold, but this was kept under control by the pumps without difficulty. All speed was made for Lochmaddy pier with the intention of discharging the cargo and beaching the vessel to examine any damage caused by the grounding. The pier was reached at 4:15pm and the discharging commenced. Only 15 minute later flames suddenly began to issue from the aft end of the hold making it impossible to work in the hold. It seems that the water had somehow reached the lime in the cargo which had ignited. The mate’s cabin also caught fire. The crew bravely began to discharge the deck cargo of petrol and paraffin and succeeded in offloading 33 barrels of paraffin and 6 cases of petrol. With the fire now taking serious hold, the skipper moved the Burnside to a small bay south west of Lochmaddy pier and anchored her in shallow water. The engine fires were extinguished and the vessel abandoned, now blazing from end to end. She burned all night with various explosions. The next morning the ship’s rail was awash at low tide. At 2pm the master and the Lloyd’s agent visited the wreck finding her sides and deck buckled and twisted, the upper wooden structures burned away and the engine room skylight shutters raised upwards caused by an explosion below.
Aerial picture of wreck by Claire Stocker.
The hull of the Burnside was reported as lying where she sank in the position 57 ° 35.413’N, 007° 09.106’W in the 1980’s. The wreckage which was heavily overgrown with kelp lay in 7 metres. The bow points in a westerly direction, stern east.
A visit to the island in 2016 confirmed that the hull of the wreck is still intact, as can be seen from the picture below. The bow section remains visible at all states of the tide, with the remainder of the wreck being tidal, see aerial picture above.
We would like to thank Lloyd’s Register Foundation – Heritage & Education Centre for allowing us to reproduce documents from their archive in this article.
