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Waverley: 50 years of the paddle steamer bought for £1

Gillian Sharpe
BBC Scotland News
Reporting fromDoon the watter
PSPS An mage of the Waverley paddle steamer making her way along a sunny coast, with a boat shooting water cannons into the air from either side as she es.PSPS
Waverley received a water cannon salute to mark the 50th anniversary of her preservation

Douglas McGowan thought it was a wind-up when he was offered the Waverley paddle steamer for £1.

He was one of a group of young enthusiasts who enjoyed a jaunt out on a paddle steamer in the 70s. But they never thought they would actually own one.

However that is exactly what happened back in 1973 and Scotland's beloved Waverley, the world's last seagoing paddle steamer, is still going strong.

The ship is marking a special milestone of 50 years since it ran its first enger sailings after being taken over as a heritage attraction.

The steamer was first launched on the Clyde in 1946, intended for cruises up Loch Loch and Loch Goil - and it became a familiar sight for generations going "doon the watter" for their holidays.

Now something of a national treasure, Waverley was triumphantly returned to service in 1975 by a very determined group two years after the very cheap purchase.

Douglas McGowan, a smiley man with white hair, poses on the Waverley, blue skies and water behind him. He is wearing a blue checked shirt and a royal blue gilet.
Douglas McGowan was a young paddle steamer enthusiast when the ship was sold for £1

"I thought it was a wind up at first," said Mr McGowan from the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS) on the offer from Caledonian MacBrayne.

The company had briefly operated the ship before making the £1 offer to the society.

Mr McGowan had to persuade his committee in London that it was a genuine offer and then, he said, "the fun and games started".

They did not have a really clear idea of what to do with the ship as the offer had been totally unexpected.

But an inspection of the hull showed that it was in decent condition and a public appeal raised £100,000 - a huge sum for the time.

PSPS A black and white image of four men in suits, standing around a Waverley life preserver, one is handing over a pound note to an older man.PSPS
PSPS A crown gathers on the Waverley as we look across to the quayside where a pipe band is playing to see it off. A well-dressed woman is walking across the erelle and onto the boat.PSPS
Douglas McGowan helped orchestrate the handover of the Waverley for £1 on 8 August 1974
Almost ready to sail for her first enger sailing with invited guests on 22 May 1975

Fifty years on, the Waverley's 2025 sailing season is now under way. This year it will visit 74 ports and piers around the UK.

"Waverley has witnessed so much change in her lifetime," said Paul Semple, general manager at Waverley Excursions.

"The river area and the riverside has transformed, yet Waverley has remained".

Like many involved with the ship, Mr Semple sailed on her as a child. He started work with her as a student summer job in the mid 90s and has never really left.

He said keeping a heritage steam ship running was not easy.

And over the years there have been challenges like repairs, maintenance, new boilers, incidents where it has struck a pier and Covid.

"Money is a challenge," Mr Semple said.

"But also the people to work the ship to learn the skills of a paddle steamer to ensure that she's here for many years to come".

Paul Semple, a bearded man in a grey suit and gold tie, smiles with the Waverley out of focus behind him.
Paul Semple, general manager at Waverley Excursions, took trips on the steamer as a child and then worked on her as a summer job

On the first public sailing of the new season, there is a real air of excitement.

One young boy is celebrating his birthday, and others have childhood memories.

"As a kid it was magic," said Alistair Quinlan, who was born and brought up in Helensburgh. He re family and Sunday school trips on the Waverley.

"The fact that the engines are open," he added. "Just the sound of it - it is a living playground for young children".

PA A drone image of the paddle steamer on completely still water, on a completely clear day looking majestic with her fresh paint job.PA
Waverley was packed for her first journey of the 2025 season, full of people with memories of the paddle steamer

Another enger, Diane MacKinnon, explains that her husband was born nearby.

"He re when the river was full of ships like this and everything was really busy on the Clyde," she said.

The enthusiasts who took over the Waverley more than 50 years ago said they could never have imagined it would be still going strong today.

"The nice thing about Waverley is that she's not stuffed or mounted in a museum somewhere," said Douglas McGowan of the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society.

"She's alive and well and in very good condition".