Replica of the Vulcan, 1819/1988

Launched at Faskine on the Monkland Canal in 1819 the Vulcan was a horse-drawn passenger barge. Built for service on the Forth and Clyde Canal it was Scotland’s first iron boat and the world’s first iron passenger boat. Not broken-up until 1873, the Vulcan’s long life reflects the skill of its builders and of the Lanarkshire boilermakers whose techniques had made this pioneering boat possible.

The replica was built for display at the 1988 Garden Festival in Glasgow. Today it is permanently located on the Gartsherrie branch of the Monkland Canal at Summerlee. Built from mild steel by British Shipbuilders Training at Govan the replica was probably the last vessel built on the River Clyde using traditional riveting techniques.