John Swailes, Photographer and Tourist on the SS Claymore
John Swailes was typical of a type of wealthy visitor to Scotland in the later years of the 19th century. Swailes, who was based in Oldham, had made his money by manufacturing tubing apparatus for the cotton industry. He was also a keen photographer, as this double portrait below shows - an ingeneous example of trick photography.
John Swailes, showing off his skills as a photographer!
I have a small collection of photographs, all glass negatives, taken by him on a trip to Scotland. The trip took in a visit to Edinburgh.
Admiring the cannon, Meg Mons at Edinburgh Castle.
Edinburgh Castle. Notice the child with no shoes, a common sight in Victorian times.
St Anthony's Chapel, below Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, looking north.
A view looking down the Royal Mile, with the Toll Booth on the left.
They visited Melrose, where Swailes took this view from the Eildon Hills.
A view from the Eildon Hills, with Melrose Abbey visible bottom right.
The party then headed off up the West Coast on the steamship SS Claymore. The steamer operated from Glasgow between 1881 - 1931, offering trips up the West Coast every ten days or so.
Glasgow: St George's Square, a photograph by John Swailes.
The boat called in at Tobermory, on Mull.
Tobermory
A murky image on board the SS Claymore (all images are taken from glass negatives, this one particularly damaged).
A better view from on board the ship.
Next stop, Oban.
Dunollie Castle, Oban.
Leaving Oban.
The SS Claymore proceeded north to Ullapool.
SS Claymore, berthed at Ullapool.
Shore Street, Ullapool, from the boat.
What I believe to be Rhue Lighthouse, off Ullapool.
The trip went at least as far north as Tenera.
The pier at Tenera. Malcolm Bangor-Jones has kindly been in touch, and suggests the Claymore is berthed here at Badentarbet Pier, with Achiltibuie in the distance. As Mr. Bangor-Jones lives at Inverkirkaig, Lochinver, I am inclined to take his word for it!
A final image from the set, which was said to be a ship off Ullapool. But it is certainly not the SS Claymore, and may be a view further south. Perhaps the boat that took the Swaile party to Scotland.
