PS Waverley was built on the Clyde in 1946 for the London & North Eastern Railway's Craigendoran to Arrochar run, and she is the last seagoing paddle steamer in the world. Sold to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society for a single pound in 1974, she has been kept sailing ever since by a charity and a great many volunteers. 2026 is her 80th anniversary year.
For a few days each summer she calls at Girvan, which is the one day of the year the harbour gets a ship of that size alongside.
The Ayrshire sailings
Waverley's Ayrshire programme generally runs from early July to the end of August, departing from Ayr, Girvan and Troon. The one to look for from Girvan is the cruise round Ailsa Craig, past Turnberry lighthouse and Culzean — you get the whole coast this guide describes, from the water, on a 1940s steamer.
Other sailings in the programme go to Loch Fyne, Loch Long and Loch Goil, round Holy Isle and Pladda, and across to Arran and the Kintyre coast.
The wider 2026 season runs into October, her longest in over a decade.
What the day is like
The engine room is open and it is the best thing on board — you can stand and watch the triple-expansion steam engine working, which is not an experience available anywhere else. There is a restaurant, a heated lounge below deck, a bar and a souvenir shop, and a great deal of standing at the rail.
Take warm and waterproof layers whatever the forecast: it is open deck, it is the Firth of Clyde, and the ship makes her own wind.
Booking
Book ahead — popular sailings sell out, and the Girvan calls are few. Book online or on 0141 243 2224. Note that a small fuel surcharge is added to adult and senior fares, currently a couple of pounds, reflecting what it costs to keep a steam ship running.
Sailings are weather-dependent and can be altered or cancelled; check before travelling. See Ailsa Craig and the local boat operators for the small-boat alternative, which runs far more often.
