The iron paddle steamship Paris was launched from the Fairfield Yard of John Elder and Co Ltd, Govan (Yard No 188) on 15th June 1875. She measured 220.0′ x 25.2′ x 11.0′ and her tonnage was 482 gross tons, 252 net tons. She was powered by a 2 cylinder oscillating compound steam engine by John Elder delivering 220 registered horse power.
Extract Lloyd’s Register 1905.
PS Paris
Built for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Co Ltd of Newhaven she was first registered on the 15th September 1875. The first thirteen years of her career were spent plying between Newhaven and Dieppe but in 1888, as she had become too slow to compete on this route, she was sold back to her builders (now the Fairfield Company) and reboilered. On completion of the refit she was briefly owned by Mr Richard Barnwell of Glasgow before being sold to the Hamburg – Amerika Line in 1892 and registered in Hamburg where she was named Flamingo. Richard Barnwell bought her back in 1895 and sold her yet again to William Rhodes of London in 1897 who named her La Belgique. Finally in 1902 she was purchased by David MacBrayne, renamed Glendale and set to work on various West Highland routes.
Her career for her final owners was destined to be a short one. At 5:20pm on Thursday 20th July, 1905 she left Greenock bound for Port Ellen, Islay under the command of Captain J McKechnie with thirteen passengers plus the crew aboard. She was going to the island to pick up holiday makers and return them to Glasgow. As she passed Pladda at the south end of Kintyre she was enveloped in a thick fog. At 11:10, while rounding the Mull of Kintyre, she ran aground at Cove Point at speed and stuck fast on a reef just a short distance from the rocky shore. She was badly holed but settled upright and in no immediate danger. As a precaution the passengers were taken ashore in the ship’s boats and spent the night on the rocks. Next morning they were able to reboard the Glendale to take off their possessions before being rowed round to Southend. The Glendale was to become a total wreck.
PS Glendale aground at South Point (Sron Oamha).
The wreckage lies in shallow water approximately 50 metres from the shore inside the reef she grounded on in position 55° 17.316’N, 005° 45.552’W (GPS) which is about 100 metres east of the point, named Sron Uamha on the chart of the area. It is possible that further wreckage exists outside the reef but the tides in the area make a dive outside the reef extremely difficult except at slack water. Even where she lies the tide can be a hazard.
The wreck has obviously been subjected to heavy salvage as little remains except some plates and pipes among the rocks in depths from 4 to 8 metres. The site is also very exposed to wind and swell and can only be dived in very good weather conditions and with good boat cover.
