Famous Waverley steamer to return to service next week

The famous Waverley paddle steamer is to return to service, two weeks after crashing into a pier on the River Clyde.

The Waverley, the world's last remaining seagoing passenger paddle steamer, is to return to service. Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

The steamer hit the headlines last Friday when it was embarking on a routine trip from Glasgow to the Isle of Bute. With passengers on board, it struck the pier at Rothesay. No one was injured.

Waverly Excursions, which manages the steamer, took the decision to cancel all sailings following the damage to the steamer’s bow. The world’s last remaining sea-going paddle steamer has been undergoing repair work which is set to be completed ahead of Friday 8 September when it will sail Weymouth in Dorset.

Built in Glasgow and launched in 1946, the vessel remains popular with tourists and undertakes regular cruises along the Firth of Clyde during the summer months. She is powered by a three-crank diagonal triple-expansion marine steam engine built by Rankin & Blackmore in Greenock.