Help from Bonny Scotland !

Caer Urfa

Caer Urfa

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After researching for 11 years I wrote my first edition of the History of the Colvic Watson Motor Sailer back in 2009, however the response has been a bit overwhelming to say the least and so much new information has come in from around the globe I am currently researching for a new updated version.

Can anyone recognise where this picture is taken, The boat is the Colvic Watson motor sailer Star of Jura the first of the Jura 35 class, 'I think' it was taken near Glasgow in the winter of 1978 when she was used as a demonstrator by G L Watson & Co.

Does anyone recognise the dock?.

Mike


View attachment 47389
 
Pretty sure its not bowling - it has a straight edge there.

Fairly distinctive bridge in background, sorry i don't recognise it!

I'd be guessing at somewhere down ayr coast?
 
Bonnie Scotland

Caer Urfa said:
After researching for 11 years I wrote my first edition of the History of the Colvic Watson Motor Sailer back in 2009, however the response has been a bit overwhelming to say the least and so much new information has come in from around the globe I am currently researching for a new updated version.

Can anyone recognise where this picture is taken, The boat is the Colvic Watson motor sailer Star of Jura the first of the Jura 35 class, 'I think' it was taken near Glasgow in the winter of 1978 when she was used as a demonstrator by G L Watson & Co.

Does anyone recognise the dock?.

Mike


View attachment 47389
Click to expand...

Could the Port of Irvine be the Dock.
 
Admittedly, I was only eight when the picture was taken, but, I don't recognize the bridge in the background from anywhere on the Ayrshire coast e.g., Ayr, Troon or Irvine.
 
Looks like Ravenscraig in the background-the big long conveyor -so wherever they used to bring the iron ore in south of Largs.
A second look which is how Ravenscraig loading conveyors looked in the distance from Rothesay back in the 90s before they were demolished .
 
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forgive a sassenach joining in, ;) but I have a Colvic Watson connection.

In the pic there are faint shadows e.g. from the bollard in the foreground. To me, that means the pic is taken facing East.. Is there any chance that the bridge in the background is two towers of the Forth Rail Bridge ? That might put the mooring at the seaward end of the Forth canal where the River Carron comes out at Grangemouth.
 
Is it the eastern entrance to the Caledonian canal, with kessock narrows bridge behind?

Or forth and Clyde canal at Clyde end?

But not forth rail bridge, I would suggest.
 
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Almost certain that's Bowling. That's the Erskine Bridge in the background. which can't be seen that close from any other harbour. The triangular topped street lights are also quite unique to the old Strathclyde region. The quayside doesn't look the same but the Erskine Bridge is the only bridge of that type in Scotland and that kind of narrows down the possibilities?
 
cryan said:
Almost certain that's Bowling. That's the Erskine Bridge in the background. which can't be seen that close from any other harbour. The triangular topped street lights are also quite unique to the old Strathclyde region. The quayside doesn't look the same but the Erskine Bridge is the only bridge of that type in Scotland and that kind of narrows down the possibilities?
Click to expand...

Perhaps its me, but I cannot see anything that resembles the Erskine Bridge in the photo.

Neither does the steelwork resemble anything on the Forth Rail Bridge nor anything about Kessock.

Sorry that I cannot say "where"
 
Also, looking at google earth, you can't get that alignment at bowling with erskine bridge.

Don't forget the year. Kessock bridge was being built. So could be not today's view.
 
I would suggest it's not anywhere on the east coast. I've spent my whole life up and down the east coast, and I don't recognise anything at all in the photo.
Somewhere on the Clyde or Ayrshire would be my guess.
 
i'm stumped - you sure its the clyde?

looked at (current) satellite pics of all the harbours down to stranraer - none have that angle in the harbour wall

maybe in the forth and clyde canal?? tho think it was farly derelict in 1978?

the bridge in the background is definitely not the erskine bridge. and is that a railway signal/gantry to the right of the pic?
 
Link doesn't work for me. Don't think it is Ardrossan though as the current distance between water, at sea level, and wall head is quite a bit more than in the old photo. Unless there was an old, now disused, dock area that had a lock or gate across it?
 
Definately does not look like Bowling to me. I think I can see a pretty wide River with a ship going down it in the background which should eliminate many places.
Perhaps the best clue is in the footprints in the snow - the most "10 to 2" footprints I have ever seen. Keep your eye out for an elderly ducky footed skipper and see if he can help !
 
Halo said:
Definately does not look like Bowling to me. I think I can see a pretty wide River with a ship going down it in the background which should eliminate many places.
Perhaps the best clue is in the footprints in the snow - the most "10 to 2" footprints I have ever seen. Keep your eye out for an elderly ducky footed skipper and see if he can help !
Click to expand...

How about Belfast?

I suspect, though, that it will be a long-gone part of Glasgow's docks.
 
JumbleDuck said:
How about Belfast?

I suspect, though, that it will be a long-gone part of Glasgow's docks.
Click to expand...

That was my initial thoughts, the likliest candidate was Queens dock but its bridge was single span. Kingston dock would have been filled in by then and none of the others would have had a double swing bridge. Ardrossan is out too because of the bridge.

How about renfrew? or even clydebank looking accross the clyde with the bridge being the one up cart?
 
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