# Burns & Laird



## Jocko

Anyone remember the old Burns & Laird line. I was on the Lairdsbank, Heysham to Londonderry in 1961, the Lairdsglen, Glasgow to Dublin in 1063. I preferred deep sea but it was a handy way(Cloud) to get home for Christmas and the New Year. My last ship was the Royal Ulsterman in 1963, Glasgow to Belfast. I only stuck it for three months for two reasons . I was married and being young and a complete numpty I missed her. The main reason was the chief engineer, name of Papadopulas or something like that. He was a complete pain in the **** and treated the engineers like dirt.


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## Jocko

I forgot to mention. The Royal Ulsterman used to take 12 hours to get from Glasgow to Belfast.!!!!! She was bought by some Arab company and was sunk by the Israelis in the Med.


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## malcolm doherty

i remember her alongside in londonderry i think my late father and his buddy were on her, also had the lairds lock and ulster sportsman / ulster drover


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## duquesa

Knew them well and some of the mates and masters. My grandfather was the manager of their Derry office for many years after WW2. I lived on the river as a young chap and they sailed past my bedroom window.
Carried cattle on the Lairds Loch Derry~Glasgow then hosed out the decks and carried 3rd. class passengers back. Fumes would have choked a horse.(==D)


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## Jocko

The Lairdsbank was well past her prime when I was on her. As I remember the carpet in your cabin was never dry. The mess where we ate was like a wee cupboard. I came off watch one night and went to the wee galley for a snack. We were on Stand by as it was pretty foggy. I`m sitting having my snack with feet up to keep them out of seawater which poured though one side and out the other. Well up comes this idiot who had just relieved me to get something to eat. On that ship there was only one engineer on a watch. So we are making our way through fog blowing our horn and nobody in the engineroom!!!!!


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## seanmac

I sailed on the Royal Ulsterman 1965/6.She looked like a mini Queen Mary.


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## q.bone

*Burns Laird*

Hello Jocko.

In reply to your query for former crew, my grandfather Dugald Sinclair was a steward on Lairdswood. He retired in 1952 but went back to sea. I'm not sure which vessel he was on then, but he died on board in January 1953. My father had to collect him from Liverpool docks and took him up to Castle Douglas. He's buried in Balmaghie. This might be a bit early for you, but it would be great to know if you ever met.

QB


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## Greenock1

Lots about Burns & Laird voyages in 1950s and 1960s and Master's Reports in the website www.shipsoftheclyde.com


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## Somerton

I remember Burns Laird . My brother sailed in the Lairdsbrook . The Lairdsoak and Lairdsrock carried steel from Ardrossan to Harland and Wolff . The Lairdsdale was renamed Ulster Drover . The North Down became the Ulster Herdsman . BSS Co . The Rathlin CSCo became the Lairdscdraig . B and I,s Meath became the Lairdscastle . I think it's Kildare became the Lairdsford . There was 3 sisters hips The tLairdsbank , Lairdscrest , and the Lairdswood .the first one ran between Heysham and Derry . The other 2 from Ardrossan and Belfast . Another 2 ships were the Lairdsfern and Lairdsfield . 2 older ships were the Lairdsferry and the Lairdsisle . Regards . Alex C .


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## trotterdotpom

Somerton said:


> I remember Burns Laird . My brother sailed in the Lairdsbrook . The Lairdsoak and Lairdsrock carried steel from Ardrossan to Harland and Wolff . The Lairdsdale was renamed Ulster Drover . The North Down became the Ulster Herdsman . BSS Co . The Rathlin CSCo became the Lairdscdraig . B and I,s Meath became the Lairdscastle . I think it's Kildare became the Lairdsford . There was 3 sisters hips The tLairdsbank , Lairdscrest , and the Lairdswood .the first one ran between Heysham and Derry . The other 2 from Ardrossan and Belfast . Another 2 ships were the Lairdsfern and Lairdsfield . 2 older ships were the Lairdsferry and the Lairdsisle . Regards . Alex C .


Lairdsfield capsized off river Tees in 1970. All crew lost.

John T


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## Runrig

There is a brand new history of Burns & Laird available. Details are here:
https://www.coastalshipping.co.uk/h...e-formation-of-coast-lines-9781902953908.html


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## Alistair Macnab

*Burns and Laird Lines...*

During the late 40s and early 50s the Lairdscrest and the Lairdswood regularly ran from Ayr with cattle on the hoof. The company office on the North Quay was a pretty art deco building with the animal layerage behind it and a bridge across the road for the cattle to get to the ship. The ships sailed to Ireland, I don't know to what port. One of them ran aground on the north side of the port entrance channel during a southwest gale. They got her off when the weather improved but I seem to think she was aground and with a heavy list for several days.


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## Somerton

Hi John , I remember the loss of the Lairdsfield . The mate was Kenneth Campbell from Belfast . His wife Joan was a close friend of my wife Naomi from their schooldays . Sadly Joan died a number weeks before Kenneth was lost . So within a few months their 2 little daughters were left without parents . Ironically a letter came from the Hospital 6 weeks after Joan.s death with a date for her heart operation . The girls were looked after by Joan,s mother Lotte . Kenneth,s body was washed ashore near Blyth . A really sad time for all the families that were bereaved by the sinking of the Lairdsfield . Alaister the Lairdscrest and Lairdswood came.to Belfast with the steel . They berthed astern of the Royal Scotsman and Royal Ulsterman .
Alex C .


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## Neil McInnes

I was SOS on the Lairdscrest Glasgow Derry then a couple of years later I was AB on the ROYAL ULSTERMAN paid of eng2 just before sailing on her last trip Glasgow Belfast. I left to fly to Australia been there ever since now retired. My watch mate was Joe Skivington from Glasgow a very good guitar player. Bloody good ship mate.


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## inandaship

I was 2nd. Mate Lairdscrest 1965 Ardrossan Derry. Always got back to Ardrossan about21.30 in the evening and it was a race to the pub for a pint before they closed, sometimes we made it and sometimes we didn't. Captains name was MacIntyre according to my discharge book.


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## gmx

Lairdsbank leaving Derry 1960's.


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