The steel steamship Tuscan was built and worked all her life on the Clyde. Launched on 21st November 1934 at Kirkintilloch, from the yard of Hay & Sons Ltd., Kirkintilloch and completed on the canal in 1935. She was sized to operate in the locks on the Forth & Clyde canal with classic dimensions of 66.1′ x 18.3′ x 8.6′ and her tonnage was 96 gross tons, 37 net tons. Her official number was 164043.
Launch of the Tuscan at Kirkintilloch in 1934.
The Tuscan moored up in Glasgow.
The Tuscan was owned by Hay & Company of Troon. On the 6th June 1955 she was en-route to Arran with a cargo of 90 tons of coal, emergency supplies for the island as a result of an ongoing rail strike. The weather was very poor and she encountered heavy seas while nearing Brodick Bay. The continual pounding and swamping of the main deck and hatch eventually overcame the small vessel and the three crew were forced to abandon ship in their small boat shortly before she foundered. Luckily for the crew their predicament had been noticed by the skipper of the British Railway steamer Kildonan which picked them and they were safely landed at Brodick pier. The registry at Lloyd’s closed in 1955.
The wreck of the Tuscan lies approximately 1 mile ENE of Brodick Pier in position 55°35.148’N 005°06.768’W in general seabed depths of 42 metres with bow facing south east. She is completely intact, sitting upright on a flat seabed and her raised rear deckhouse is another two or three metres shallower. Visibility in the area is generally 5-10 metres.
Artist impression of wreck
The wreck lies close to the route of the Ardrossan to Brodick ferry so good boat cover is essential.
Bell recovered from wreck
