The Last Clyde Ferry - A Short History of Glasgow's Ferries

Before the River Clyde at Glasgow was improved in the 19th century to increase its depth, the river was so shallow that you could walk across it at low tide in certain places. These fords became unusable after the river was deepened, but big ships could now sail right into the heart of the city to offload or pick-up goods for import or export.

With an increase in the number of riverside industries taking advantage of the 'new' river, everything from engine works and forges to shipbuilding yards, the river because a busy bustling place, and what had once been an occasional ferry being rowed across the Clyde blossomed into a full-time industry in itself, transporting workers back and forth, to and from their work.

In addition to ferries that simply crossed the river at various places, other vessels, called Cluthas, took passengers up and down the river, stopping at eleven landing stages between the centre of Glasgow and Whiteinch, the latter being the location of one of the old fords: The Marlin Ford.

The Cluthas didn't last very long, from 1884 to 1903, and were probably impacted by the arrival of the electric tram. The ferries were phased out gradually. The Whiteinch ferry was removed in 1963 when the Clyde Tunnel was opened. The Govan ferry didn't last much longer. The Clyde Street ferry went in 1967 to make way for construction of the Kingston Bridge. The Kelvinhaugh ferry lasted until the 1980s, while other ferries gradually disappeared as industry along the banks of the river died and fewer and fewer workers existed to use the ferries.

But one ferry still runs. It's a modern passenger ferry that takes passengers across the River Clyde at Renfrew where the old vehicular chain ferry used to run. And that ferry, is the last Clyde ferry.

NOTE - During chat at the Stobcross Ferry location near the foot of Elliot Street I wrongly presumed that the remaining iron structures were part of the chain mechanism that moved the vehicular ferry from one side of the river to the other. Given that the chains are attached to a platform or ramp, it seems more likely that the chains and the mechanism here were used simply to raise and lower a quayside ramp that would assist vehicles getting on and off the ferry at different tide and river levels. If anyone can shed more light on this I'd be very interested.