Ferries
Ferries were used to cross rivers and estuaries until reliable bridges could be built: there was a ferry across the River Forth at North and South Queensferry until 1964, and across the Beauly Firth at Kessock until 1982. Ferries are still a major method of connecting islands to each other and to the mainland of Scotland. They were, and still are, owned and operated by a mix of local authorities, central authorities (originally the Crown and subsequently central government), private individuals, commercial companies and community-based trusts.
From the 12th century the right to operate a ferry at a particular place was a heritable property right, granted through charters and sasines. Most such ferry rights were held by individual landowners but there are also instances of town councils controlling ferry rights.[1] For example, Dundee Town Council controlled the ferry across the River Tay from Seamyles-on-Tay from 1641. In 1713 the Guildry of Dundee purchased lands for a new harbour at what became Newport.[2] Perth Town Council held the ferry right across the Tay at Perth from 1621, when the old bridge collapsed, until the replacement was completed in 1771.[3] The right to have a ferry was included in a charter to the burgh of Renfrew in 1614.[4]
The right of ferry included an obligation to provide a boat, the right to charge for the service and the right to be protected from competition from other nearby boats. The ferry proprietor was also obliged to keep the slips, quays or harbours maintained. Ferrymen usually paid the proprietor for a tack to operate the ferry and then recouped their costs through an agreed proportion of the income from charges. Both public and private ferries were usually subject to local regulations.[5]
From 1669 justices of the peace (JPs) had responsibilities for surveying and ensuring the repair of ferries and these responsibilities were shared with commissioners of supply from 1686.[6] From 1889 the ferry responsibilities of commissioners of supply were transferred to county councils.[7] JPs continued to have power to regulate ferry fares until 1908.[8]
From the late 18th century, the development of canals and the expansion of freight transport led to ferry rights being acquired by canal and navigation companies and later by railway companies seeking to link routes. The East and West Erskine Ferries were bought by the Clyde Navigation Trust in 1890 from the Lord of Blantyre after a long-running dispute.[9] The Loch Tay route was bought by the Caledonian Railway Company to connect Killin and Kenmore. Railway-owned ferry routes and ferry companies were subsequently nationalised by the Transport Act 1947.[10] Following a Ministry of Transport inquiry into ferries throughout Great Britain, which discovered that many were not fit for purpose, many inland ferry routes were replaced by bridges.[11] However, other ferry routes were upgraded to accommodate changes in the type of traffic carried. The operation of nationalised routes was contracted to ferry companies, including the nationalised Clyde Shipping Services (now CalMac Ferries Ltd).
In 1937 local authorities were empowered to acquire ferries (and other marine works) by transfer or compulsory purchase.[12] The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 required regional and islands councils to develop policies to promote the co-ordination of public transport systems and enabled them to subsidise public transport by land, water or air. Local authority responsibilities for ferries, piers, harbours, boatslips and jetties were also transferred to regional and islands councils.[13] The Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994 transferred these powers and responsibilities to the unitary councils from 1996.[14]
Central government records relating to ferries are held by National Records of Scotland in the Agriculture and Fisheries files (reference code AF) and amongst roads and bridges files from the Scottish Office Development Department (reference code DD4). Local authority archives services may hold records relating to ferries.
Compiler: Elspeth Reid (2021)
Related Knowledge Base entries
Bibliography
Walker, David M., ‘Roads. Bridges and Ferries’ in Source book and history of administrative law in Scotland ed. by M. R. McLarty (Hodge, 1956) pp.210-212.
Weir, L. M. W. ‘Ferries in Scotland between 1603 and the advent of steam’ (Unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1985)
Weir, Marie, Ferries in Scotland (John Donald, 1988)
Ferries in Great Britain. Report of the committee appointed by the Minister of Transport (HMSO, 1948)
References
[1] L.M.W. Weir, ‘Ferries in Scotland between 1603 and the advent of steam’ (Unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1985) p.2.
[2] Weir, Marie, Ferries in Scotland (John Donald, 1988) pp.98-100.
[3] Weir, Ferries in Scotland (1988), p.24.
[4] Weir, Ferries in Scotland (1988), p.82.
[5] Wier, ‘Ferries in Scotland between 1603 and the advent of steam’ (1985), pp.2-3.
[6] Act for repairing highways and bridges, 1669. The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707 [RPS] ed. by K.M. Brown and others (2007-2021) 1669/10/53 http://www.rps.ac.uk/trans/1669/10/53; Act anent highways and bridges, 1686 RPS, 1686/4/28 http://www.rps.ac.uk/trans/1686/4/28 [both accessed 26 Aug 2021].
[7] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict. c.50).
[8] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1908 (8 Edw. VII c.62).
[9] Weir, Ferries in Scotland, (1988) p.80.
[10] Transport Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. VI c.49)
[11] Ferries in Great Britain. Report of the committee appointed by the Minister of Transport (HMSO, 1948)
[12] Harbours Piers and Ferries (Scotland) Act 1937 (1 Edw. VII & 1 Geo. VI c.28)
[13] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c.65) s.153
[14] Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994 (c.39)