Scotland’s Shipyards –
As we move north around the east coast of Scotland, we arrive at Aberdeen which was a great centre of shipbuilding for many years. For a few centuries shipbuilding was carried out at Aberdeen.
Alexander Hall & Co, Ltd, started out in 1790 building many fast china tea clippers and three & four masted barques for the Australian wool trade.
This firm was credited with the introduction of the classic “Clipper Bow” the raked stem that was to become synonymous with all the great fast sailing ships of the heydays of sail. Quite a legacy to have left behind as there can be few beret sights on the ocean than a ship with full sail and an “Aberdeen clipper bow”.
The firm would continue building ships right up to 1955 when they merged with the adjacent shipyard of Hall Russell & Co, Ltd.
They also built many ships when the days of sail were numbered and shipbuilding was moving first into iron then steel along with steam power. Ships such as shown below from the amazing website that has everything you could want to know about Aberdeen along with its amazing shipbuilding past.
Calypso - Iron Steamer Yard Number: 283 Launched May 1874