Timber to Scandanavia via Buckie

Date Added: 10 October 2007 Contributor: Norman Davidson Year of Photo: 1992 Picture No: 270

Photograph courtesy of Roy Neish.
About 1992 Buchan Forest district was involved in sending pulpwood directly to Scandanavian pulp mills. Kenny Muirden, timber haulier, had the contract to stockpile the timber on the pier and when the boat was in to quickly haul the balance of the 1100-1200 tonnes for the full load. Andy Martin, harvesting forester, can be seen walking on the right with possibly one of the crew of the Saint Angus, the Glenlight ship. Andy's escort van is pulled up in front of the log pile.

Gordon Alainn has kindly supplied some images of the Saint Angus from earlier and later years which have been entered into the PDF above.
The first image shows Saint Angus in the Falkland Islands in 1987: the second on 27 May 1990: the third at Derry’s Meadowbank Quay in 1995 with timber: the fourth now renamed as the ‘Tideway’ at Fort de Franc in April 2006 a few weeks before she sank. See Gordon’s comments below.

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Groups: Forestry in Action, Groups of people, Northeast Scotland , Ships, boats and sea transport

5 Comments

Now, thats an interesting picture! The ships Jonsered? crane certainly says GLENLIGHT, but Saint Angus was a ship owned by J+A Gardner of Glasgow. Was she on charter to Glenlight, or had that co. ceased trading by that time, and Gardners bought one of their cranes? Anybody know?
Saint Angus and Saint Oran were versatile ships which could, among other things, load vehicles as deck cargo through the bow flaps seen in the pic.
Glenlight was the final incarnation/amalgamation of what remained of the Clyde "Puffer" operators. It modernised and tried to survive with fewer, better, ships, but government withdrew essential subsidy, and that was the end of it.
I met Kenny Muirden occasionally in the Biomar fish feed plant in Grangemouth when he`d be backloading for home, but haven`t seen him down that way lately Comment left on 13 January 2011 at 00:30 by John macdonald

I was a deckhand on the St. Angus when this photo was taken and you are correct she was on charter to the Glenlight and she retained Gardiners livery for nearly 2yrs. Glenlight red hull was applied some 6 moths after they added the deck crane and St. Angus continued as a Glenlight ship until the company's demise. She was sold to an African company after a time and aquired the name 'Tideway', and a green hull, which was all a waste of time as after only a few short voyages she hit a reef and sunk. I have a picture of her as the 'Tideway' if you would like a copy. Comment left on 08 July 2012 at 22:57 by Gordon Alainn

hi everyone
I am looking through all Glenlight files that i can. I am trying to look for my dads name>
Rab johnstone..?
Ardrossan
he drowned 1989 in greenock docks with another man from down port -pat way.my dah worked on these boat for 11yr ki anderson or gorda hamilton was his skipper both friends of family Comment left on 05 August 2012 at 01:27 by Thomas r johnstone

Hi Gordon, thanks for your information, I didn`t know any of that. I was never at sea myself, but as an island boy, have always been interested in all sorts of boats. My late father was a coal merchant in Tobermory, and i can remember coal cargoes being delivered in Hamilton`s SS.Invercloy.(Skipper D Ross)in the 50s and early 60s.
On the timber shipping front, there`s currently alot of material being moved around the highlands and islands by the Great Glen Shipping co. (Boyd Bros, Corpach) in their vessels, ISIS and BURHOUI, which may have originally been built as DAVID DORMAN and EDGAR DORMAN. Comment left on 19 September 2012 at 13:20 by John MacDonald

Hi Thomas, it might be worth trying to get in contact with Len Paterson, who was a manager with Glenlight, and wrote a book called the Light in the Glens. If he`s still to the fore, you might be able to trace him through the publishers.
I don't know if you know Keith MacGinn, he was a skipper with Glenlight, and wrote a book called the Last of the Puffermen. He might be able to help. I would think he would have known your Dad
As you`ll know, Kai and Geordie H have been dead for many years, they don`t make characters like them anymore!!! good luck with your search. Comment left on 19 September 2012 at 13:39 by John MacDonald

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