Starlight was at Brodick

David Fallows wrote in response to my ‘Harbours’ feature (MR228). He says: “You may like to know that your photo of the puffer Starlight was taken at Brodick Harbour, on the Isle of Arran. “The little ‘berth’ at the side of the harbour wall was almost exclusively used by puffers. It was water-filled from around half tide or so, but at low tide the puffers grounded on their flat bottoms. This was in the days of the side-loading car ferry Glen Sannox, long before the floating driveway access for the stern-loading Caledonian Isles was built. “The side-loading ship was memorable - the ramp was lowered from the deck near the stern - you drove onto a turntable in the deck and were hand-turned to the vehicle berths. I remember it - [along with] Starlight, Roman and VIC 21 - well.” Here’s another picture from the same set, which seems to confirm David’s comments.

The Clyde puffer Starlight is grounded at Brodick with the Caledonian Macbrayne ferry Mv Glen Sannox in the background, in another picture from the same series. CHRIS LEIGH COLLECTION