The MV Rosehaugh, Kessock Ferry 1973

The MV Rosehaugh holds a special place in Scottish transport history as the last ferry to serve the Kessock crossing between North Kessock on the Black Isle and Inverness. Launched in 1968, the Rosehaugh was a modern, purpose-built roll-on/roll-off vessel designed to carry vehicles and passengers efficiently across the narrow waters of the Beauly Firth.

Constructed by Berwick Shipyard, the 102-foot ferry was the largest the yard had built at that time. With a capacity of up to 150 passengers and 17 cars, it featured Voith-Schneider propulsion units, which gave it excellent manoeuvrability essential for operating in the tight and busy ferry channel. The Rosehaugh replaced older vessels on the route, providing a quicker and more reliable service for locals, commuters, and commercial traffic.

For 14 years, the ferry was a familiar sight, completing crossings in just five minutes and linking communities on the Black Isle with the city of Inverness. However, the ferry’s days were numbered once plans for the Kessock Bridge were approved. The bridge, which opened in 1982, provided a fixed road link across the firth, rendering the ferry service obsolete.

After the closure of the Kessock ferry route, the MV Rosehaugh found a new role at the Corran Ferry crossing over Loch Linnhe, where she operated until 2001. Following her retirement from ferry duties, she was converted into a support vessel for the offshore oil industry based at Invergordon.