Ailsa Shipbuilding Company

Ailsa Shipbuilding Company was a Scottish shipbuilding company based in Troon and Ayr, Ayrshire.

Steam yacht Andria. Launched 18 Feb 1897

History

The company was founded in 1885 by Archibald Kennedy, 3rd Marquess of Ailsa, along with Peter James Wallace and Alexander McCredie.

In 1902 the Ailsa yard fitted out the polar exploration ship Scotia for the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902–04. The Scotia sailed from Troon for the South Atlantic on 2 November 1902.^[1]

The company built paddle steamers for various companies around the UK, including the New Medway Shipping Company's PS Medway Queen, the only estuary paddle steamer left in the UK.

During the First World War, the shipyard built the Royal Navy's first paddle minesweeper of the Racecourse class.^[2]

During the Second World War, Ailsa built vessels for the Navy, including several Bangor-class minesweepers.

In 1977 Ailsa was nationalised and subsumed into the British Shipbuilders Corporation. In 1981, the assets of Ailsa and those of Ferguson Brothers were merged to form Ferguson-Ailsa, Limited. This grouping was split and privatised in 1986, the Ailsa yard being acquired by Perth Corporation as Ailsa & Perth, Limited.

Ailsa stopped large-scale shipbuilding in 1988 and finally closed as a shipbuilder in 2000.^[3] The yard has recently been used for ship repair work and the fabrication of large concrete sections for a pier improvement programme in Grimsay, Western Isles.^[4]

Ships built by Ailsa Shipbuilding Company

Archives

The Ailsa Shipbuilding Company archives are maintained by the University of Glasgow Archives Services.^[21]

References

1. "William S. Bruce". South Pole.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
2. "HM Ships As extracted from Jane's Fighting Ships for 1919". Retrieved 28 March 2009.
3. Ayrshire shipyard closing BBC News, 18 August 2000
4. "Huge concrete box due for harbour". BBC News. 21 August 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
5. "Dalblair". Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
6. "Pointe D'Esny – Ship Wreck of the Dalblair – 1902". Vintage Mauritius. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
7. "The Marchioness". Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
8. "Warrior". Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
9. "HMS Loch Tarbert". Naval-History.Net. Retrieved 5 October 2009.
10. "HMS Loch Veyatie". Naval-History.Net. Retrieved 5 October 2009.
11. "Container Enterprise". Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
12. "Container Venturer". Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
13. "Slieve Donard". Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
14. "Scottish Built Ships", www.clydeships.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
15. "Motor Vessel TRAQUAIR built by Ailsa Shipbuilders (BS) in 1982 for Anchor Line Ltd. - George Gibson & Co. Ltd., Tanker". clydeships.co.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
16. "Graemsay". Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
17. "Motor Vessel AEOLUS built by Ailsa-Troon Ltd. in 1997 for George Jack, Dunure & Scotprime Seafoods Ltd, Ayr, Fishing". clydeships.co.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
18. "Lochnevis - History". Ships of Calmac. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
19. "Shipyard search results for "1015"". Miramar. Retrieved 5 October 2009.
20. "Vessel list". clydeships.co.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
21. "Records of Ailsa Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Troon, East Ayrshire, Scotland". from Glasgow University Archive Catalogue. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2009.