The chain ferry Erskine was built by John Reid and Co Ltd., Whiteinch (Yard No 328) and launched in June 1903. Constructed of steel and powered by a steam engine she measured 52.0′ x 38.6′ x 4.6′ and her tonnage was 55 gross tons, 34 net tons. Her engine was built and installed by Lees, Anderson and Co Ltd of Glasgow.
Ordered by the Erskine Estate of Lord Blantyre she was originally built to work on the important ferry crossing from Erskine to Old Kilpatrick. She was acquired by the Trustees of Clyde Navigation in 1904 but continued, under lease to Erskine Estate, to operate very successfully on this duty until 1935 when she was replaced by a larger ferry to increase the capacity of the crossing. She was sold to the Mr William McDonald of Viewfield, Inverness operator of the Kessock ferry, and was planned to operate on this crossing from Inverness to Ross-shire.
She departed from the Clyde, under tow by the tug Flying Cormorant, on 28th February and headed south on the first leg of a long trip that was planned to round the Mull of Kintyre and take the two ships up the west coast and through the Caledonian Canal to their destination at Inverness. The ferry had some structural adjustments made to allow it to enter and pass through the canal and it is speculated that perhaps these changes resulted in a weakness because, en route, they encountered heavy weather and, later that day, when still off the east coast of Kintyre at the south end of Kilbrannan Sound, the Erskine developed a leak and started to fill. It was soon obvious that the ferry was doomed and eventually the tow rope was cut and the vessel foundered, thankfully without loss of life as no-one was aboard the ferry itself.
The wreck of the Erskine lies 3.5 miles south east of Davaar Island in position 55°23.342’N, 005°28.100’W. The wreck is almost completely intact and lies upright in 35 metres of water oriented on a north south axis. The wreck rises 2 metres above the surrounding muddy seabed and has an large fishing net entangled on one side. This net makes the wreck easier to locate by echo sounder but care is needed in poor visibility to avoid problems for the diver.
