Audio cassette recording of Maggie Campbell talking to John George MacLean in Scarinish on 11/1/2000.
Maggie Campbell talks to John George MacLean in January 2000 about the pay and conditions of the workers building piers in Tiree, the lighter taking cargo to the steamers, the sling and crane used to lift livestock, the railway tracks down Gott Bay pier to the stores, the pier at Heanish, the coal puffers and the ‘Mary and Effie’, pier masters, and the Scarinish Hotel and shop. Tha Mairead Chaimbeul a’ bruidhinn ri Iain Dheòrsa Mac ’Ill ’Leathain a Sgairinis anns an Fhaoilteach 2000 mun phaigheadh agus shuidheachadh luchd-obrach nan cidhe Thiriodh; an geòla a giùlain luchd gu na bàtaichean-aiseig; an crann a thog beathaichean; an rathad-iarainn air a’ chidhe; cidhe Hianais; bàtaichean-guail agus am Mary and Effie, na maighstirean-cidhe; taigh-òsda Sgairinis agus Bùth Dhan.
Construction of the roll-on roll-off ferry terminus at Gott Bay pier
Photograph of the construction of the roll-on roll-off ferry terminus at Gott Bay pier in 1992.
Courtesy of Ms Rona Campbell
The roll-on roll-off ferry terminus at Gott Bay pier was constructed in 1992 at a cost of £2.5 million. A new pier, incorporating the linkspan, was built to the east of the old pier-head, extending into deeper water where, some argued, the original pier-head should have been situated.
The linkspan, a mechanically operated steel ramp, can be raised or lowered to suit the tides, enabling vehicles to be driven straight on to the car deck of the ferry from the pier. Prior to this, vehicles were side-loaded in batches and lowered to the car deck by lift.
In the same year, a linkspan was constructed at Coll pier. The ferry turnaround times at both piers were cut to around a third, substantially reducing the sailing time from Oban to Tiree.
Colour photograph of the construction of the roll-on roll-off ferry terminus at Gott Bay pier in 1992.
The construction of the roll-on roll-off ferry terminus at Gott Bay pier in 1992.
