2 October 1946 – Launch of Waverley

Today is the 75th anniversary of the launch of the beautiful Waverley. She was launched by Lady Matthews, wife of LNER Chairman, pictured in the article below, on a misty autumn day. Her speech highlighted that “the splendour of the Clyde coast scenery should be viewed from steamers like this.” And 75 years later, having…

The season of 2021 culminated in a beautiful sail round the Isle of Bute on September 19. The day showcased the lovely engagement from local communities and the popularity of Waverley on the Firth of Clyde. A huge thank you goes out to our crew and supporters – you’ve all played a big part in…

Waverley returned to service on June 29 and has been warmly welcomed at the various ports and piers around the Firth of Clyde. The variety of sailings on offer this summer has proved popular. The weather has been excellent with passengers enjoying some of the best sailing conditions for many years. Across social media and…

Waverley is now scheduled to be in daily service on the Firth of Clyde until at least August 22nd offering a wide variety of sailings from her home base in Glasgow and from over a dozen piers on the attractive Clyde coast. Given ongoing restrictions capacity aboard the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer will be…

We are delighted to announce that Waverley’s Clyde 2021 timetable has now been published following the successful completion of sea trails which took place last week. The Clyde 2021 timetable can be downloaded from our website. Bookings can be made online at waverleyexcursions.co.uk. Given the ongoing need to limit capacity to ensure physical distancing, advance booking is…

Waverley emerged from dry dock yesterday after her three week visit. During the annual docking six paddles were renewed, steel work was replaced in the paddlebox, the bow was repaired, and her hull was repainted. After leaving dry dock Waverley berthed briefly in Greenock before undertaking sea trials to test the main engine. The trials…

Waverley left her winter berth in Glasgow shortly before 2pm on Wednesday (21st April) under her own power to sail down river to Greenock for her annual dry docking. After turning at the ‘Tail of the Bank’ she berthed at Greenock’s Custom House Quay. Given that news of Waverley’s first move of the year spread…

Preparations are under way for Waverley moving to dry dock for her annual out-of-the water survey and hull maintenance. This docking will also allow for the bow to be repaired. Over the past week final maintenance work has been undertaken on the main engine with further testing of steam equipment. Earlier today Waverley’s steam whistle…

A recent full inspection of Waverley’s massive paddle wheels showed that four paddle floats require to be replaced as well as the leading float on each wheel which are due for replacement as a routine matter. Each paddle wheel has eight wooden floats with each float being assembled from four individual timber boards.  Over time the…

Paul Semple, General Manager for Waverley Excursions, will be delivering an online live Presentation at 7:30pm on Friday 12th February via YouTube. The title of the presentation is “Waverley – Achieving 2020 and Beyond”, during which Paul will share the fascinating untold story of Waverley’s return to service in 2020. Previously unpublished images of the…