The Culzean was an iron-hulled sailing ship of 1,633 tons, built by John Reid & Co. at Port Glasgow in 1871. She was part of the fleet owned and operated by John Kerr & Co. of Greenock. Her maiden voyage to India got off to a troubled start because of storm damage and she had to put back for repairs. However, in 1872, under a new master, James Pirnie, who would command her for every other voyage, she proved to be a fine vessel.
At the end of 1880, she had completed nine long and often eventful voyages. In January 1881 she sailed from London for Calcutta (now known as Kolkata) with a general cargo. There she picked up a cargo of jute for Dundee. All went well on the return voyage until, only a day from Dundee, she was dismasted in a violent storm. Fortunately, she was found by some fishing boats and towed into the River Tyne. She was then towed by two steam tugs to Dundee.
As Dundee had a big shipbuilding industry, logic suggested that she be repaired there. However, apparently anxious to avoid any possible delay in having the repairs completed, her owners made the contentious decision to have her towed, in a helpless dismasted state, back to Port Glasgow. The voyage was plagued by storms and the tow-rope broke off the north coast of Scotland. Fortunately, a spare was quickly re-connected.
On 21st November 1881 the Culzean was towed out of Tobermory, past Crinan and down the Sound of Jura. The weather grew progressively wilder and by 9.00pm as they reached the Iron Rock lighthouse, they could make no further progress against the storm. In trying to turn back the tow-rope again snapped, the tug lost sight of the Culzean and she was wrecked at Lagg Point on the Isle of Jura. All twenty men aboard, most of them from Dundee, perished.
The initial decision to tow the Culzean was controversial, and her loss was a tragedy, but the subsequent Court of Inquiry proved to be even more controversial as new evidence emerged. Things were, apparently, not as had been reported. This is the full story of her voyages, her loss and the subsequent Inquiry.
