A photo by Thomas Annan, and an old photo at that! Taken in 1870, and over 150 years old, the subject is the Blantyre to Bothwell ferry boat crossing near Bothwell Castle on River Clyde. Pictured is the Blantyre side, not far from Blantyre Priory.
These old negative plates offer great clarity and resolution. Gordon Cook once gave me some more information about this ferry crossing, which led across to a boathouse on the Bothwell side. Not to be confused with another ferry crossing at Blantyre Works. Gordon added, “this was a very private affair. I believe this was for the sole use of the gamekeeper or gillie, employed by Lord Home to look after the Priory policies. Although for a long time owned by Lord Blantyre, the land was leased to Lord Home, they used to have wood auctions twice a year. This boat would go straight across to another jetty on the other side, just down the hill from Bothwell Castle.”
Incredibly, this photo is SO old, that if the man in the boat was 50 at the time, he would have been born in 1820.
