Steamship · 1911–1920 · Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom
Saint Oran
Captain Mitchell noted that the Firth was murky as the Saint Oran left Troon with coal for Larne, and off Turnberry, after midnight, an inbound steamer loomed up too close to avoid. The Belfast steamer Eveleen struck and holed her, and while the coaster settled over the next two hours, the Eveleen, damaged only at the bow, stayed afloat and took her whole crew aboard before carrying them to Ayr.
A day later one of her boats was found drifting south-east of Ailsa Craig holding a lifebelt along with her register, her official log and the book of her cargo. Built in 1911 and owned by J & A Gardner of Glasgow, the 237-ton steamship sank in 1920. She lies about four miles north-west of Girvan with her hull largely intact, though her funnel and mast have fallen and netting covers her bow.
- Type
- Steamship
- Year built
- 1911
- Lost
- 1920
- Tonnage
- 237 GRTsteam
- Depth
- 49 m
- Location
- Firth of Clyde, United KingdomFirth of Clyde
Deeper than 148 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.
History and LossLost 1920 · Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom.
A stern-engined coaster built by Scott & Sons at Bowling, she loaded coal at Troon on the afternoon of 29 December 1920 and headed south past the Heads of Ayr and Dunure. At around 12.30am, some miles south west of the Turnberry light, she and the Eveleen collided. Badly holed, she began to settle almost immediately and sank around 02.20am on 30 December; her 8 crew were landed safely at Ayr.
Built 1911; 9 years in service. Lost 1920.
Condition of the WreckIntact.
Intactness
She lies 4 miles north west of Girvan harbour, oriented 010°/190° with her bow to the south. Her hull keeps its basic form, but every deck structure, along with the funnel and mast, has fallen in, and nets hang over her bow.
Notable Features
- Bow section
- Cargo remains
- Mast
Sea-Surface Temperature by Month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface temp | 8.6° | 7.6° | 7.3° | 8.3° | 10.3° | 12.6° | 14.5° | 15° | 14.3° | 12.9° | 11.6° | 9.9° |
Additional Details9 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Propulsion
- Steam
- Loss date
- 1920
- Latitude
- 55.2945° N
- Longitude
- 4.9442° W
- Water body
- Firth of Clyde
- War grave
- Not recorded
- Protected
- No
- Permit required
- No
- Condition
- Intact
Sources and VerificationEvery fact on this page traces to a published source.
- Historic Environment Scotland (Canmore, NRHE)inspire.hes.scot · Official record5 facts
- NOAA / NASA JPL MUR SST v4.1coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov · Institution or archive1 fact
- Scottish Shipwrecksscottishshipwrecks.com · Secondary source11 facts
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Historic Environment Scotland.
- JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). PO.DAAC. https://doi.org/10.5067/GHGMR-4FJ04
A further 6 fields were derived from the wreck’s recorded position rather than taken from a source.
Licences and credits for the open data used on this site are on the Attribution page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Saint Oran?
Saint Oran is the wreck of a steamship, off Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom, at 49 metres. Saint Oran was lost in 1920.
How deep is the Saint Oran?
Saint Oran lies at approximately 49 metres, Firth of Clyde.
How did the Saint Oran sink?
The cause of the loss of Saint Oran is not recorded in the sources held; the loss is dated 1920.