Clubhouse History and the S.S.Bencleuch

Members will know that our club house is a compartment of the Benline ship S.S.Bencleuch.
Some time ago, on an evening in the club house it was suggested that our secretary should contact the Benline and ask if they could provide us with information on the ship. This was done and the Benline archivist, Captain A M Watters really came up trumps, providing the club with a capacity plan, photographs, a book on the history of the line with a fleet list and a table top decoration house flag.
The vessel arrived at P & W MacLellan Ltd, Bo'ness for breaking on the 10th March 1972 and Alex Fernie obtained the compartment, moving it in two halves to its current position where he trued it up and welded it back together. It had been intended that the present south facing windows would look over the river. For some reason when craned into position they faced south, the wrong way, so Alex cut apertures for the row of windows that look north, a happy accident giving us a view of the approach road and the yard as well as the river.
Discussions ensued as to exactly which compartment we have. One view was that it is the galley and the other the officers smoke room, both being very similar. This point was taken up with Captain Watters who in his time had commanded the Bencleuch on two voyages. He produced Photographs of both compartments from which it can be seen that we have the officers smoke room. Other small external details such as stubs of railing support this.
The ship was the sixth Bencleuch to sail under the Benline flag and was of the Benmacdhui class which included the sister ship Benavon and Benvenue. From the Archive photographs it can be seen that she was a fine looking vessel, a shelter decker, very well provided with lifting equipment, capable of working heavy cargo with no quayside assistance. She was classified by Lloyds Register.
A local cameraman's photograph presented to the club by George Mitchell shows the ship in her final resting place on the beach at MacLellans. In the foreground under then starboard bow can be seen the hull of the steam drifter Acquisition. The capacity plan, now framed decorates the club house. Of the present membership both Jim Gentleman and Shug Don served on the Benline.
Sadly the last Benline ship has been sold and the company now does agency work.