Calmac history

My eye was caught by your report ‘Calmac warns of ongoing disruption to ferry sailings’ (Scotsman, 4 April). The report quotes a Calmac source saying more than half their fleet are beyond their 25-year life expectancy, so the risk of breakdowns is significant.

I am presently working on a new edition of my late father’s biography, detailing his Macbrayne’s career from 1928. In it, he notes the longevity of many of the contemporary vessels, for example Squeaky Robertson’s Plover, built 1904, taken out of service 1946; the Pioneer, 1905 to 1944; and, particularly, the Glencoe, 1804 to 1931! Truly, they don’t make them like that any more.

KIT FRASER Belhaven High Street, Dunbar