This month marks the 86th anniversary of one of the most remarkable episodes in the history of Largs Pier when a huge steamer ship drifted from Rothesay bay and ‘miraculously’ arrived at Largs Pier.
On Thursday 12 February 1931, this giant cargo boat of 6000 tonnes broke from her moorings in Rothesay and was driven across the bay by a fierce south westerly gale before landing safely at Largs Pier.
On Wednesday evening at 11pm The Balgowan, which only had three men on board, started to drag her moorings, and at 2.30am on Thursday the moorings parted from the ship.
The three men on board were helpless to steer a safe course, and the steamer drifted at the mercy of the gale.
Chief officer Mr J.L Nicol said: “The manner in which the Balgowan drifted alongside Largs Pier without human aid was a most remarkable happening. I thought nothing could prevent us from running aground on the Cumbrae or Ayrshire coast, and for a time, it was probable that we would strike the north end of Cumbrae, but when we got clear of the point it seemed we must ground on the Ayrshire coast.”
“So it was with the greatest relief that I saw us coming alongside the Largs Pier. We took the pier like a Clyde steamer, coming in broadside, and not the slightest damage was done to the pier or the ship.”
The ‘News’ reported: “There was no sign of any shipping traffic inward or outward, which was fortunate, for if there had been, the drifting vessel would have been a menace as she was practically out of control.
“Although the lights would have been a warning to the other shipping which would have given her a wide berth.”
The current had a big say in the remarkable course which led to the vessel drifting to safety alongside Largs Pier at 1.30am.
A local man, William Morris, out for an early morning walk, was astonished to see the huge ship towering high above the pier. When he went down to the pier the watchmen threw ropes and he tied up the vessel to bollards.
Due to the size of the cargo ship, there was not sufficient water at the pier for her to float at all stages of the tide, so she rested on the bottom before low tide at 1pm.
Three tugs arrived and managed to get her off, after which she was taken up the river, Captain W.S Ure of Largs being engaged to navigate her.
The Balgowan had a gross tonnage of 6599 tons and a net tonnage of 4139 tons, and was launched in 1917 from the yard of Messrs Doxford and Son, Sunderland. The Waverley, by comparison, is 693 tons.
It was certainly a well journeyed ship having already been to Australia, but had been laid up in Glasgow prior to anchoring in Rothesay, due to the trade depression. Largs man Edmund Beavis was a former engineer on the ship and wrote about this adventures on board when visiting Baltimore and Cuba in the columns of the Largs and Millport Weekly News.
The ship was launched as ‘Admiral Codrington’ before being re-named ‘Balgowan’ and later was ‘Spyros’ under the Greek flag. Her last known whereabouts was 1942 near Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she sunk. 
On a voyage from St. John, New Brunswick, Canada to Liverpool with a cargo of wheat, the cargo ship met its sad end as she struck a rock, broke in two and sank on February 17th, 1942, about 20 miles from Halifax.