A ferry worker from Lewis, who has served with CalMac for almost half a century, has hung up his uniform for the last time.
Finlay Smith, who started work as a galley boy with David MacBrayne on board the original MV Loch Seaforth at the age of just 15 in 1967, has retired after 49 years of service to the same company.
The man from Great Bernera has seen plenty of changes during his long career – not least the company changing from David MacBrayne to Caledonian MacBrayne in 1973.
After his induction as a teenager, Finlay, who still lives on Bernera, progressed to assistant pantry boy, before spending a number of years as second cook, also covering for the chief cook when required.
In 1985, he became the first second steward to serve on the brand new MV Hebridean Isles when she joined the fleet.
His last job with the company was as onboard service manager on MV Hebrides, as she plied her route on the Uig-Lochmaddy-Tarbert triangle, where he was a familiar and popular member of crew.
He said: “My highlight in all those years has been the people I’ve met. Both passengers and crew alike.
“I have seen so many changes in the near half century I’ve been part of David MacBrayne and then CalMac, but one thing that has always remained the same is the coming and going of staff and customers – either getting to know people or just passing time with them.
“The way we work has also changed enormously. The one and only interview I’ve ever had with the company was in 2005 when I applied for the onboard services manager position – that was quite strange after 38 years, but it’s just the way things are.”
One of Caledonian MacBrayne’s longest serving staff members, 65-year-old Finlay is now looking forward to spending more time on his croft looking after his herd of sheep.
Retail development manager Donald MacKillop added: “Finlay will be greatly missed. He had seen so much during his time with the company and he has amassed so much invaluable knowledge, he will be an impossible act to follow.
“He was an enormously popular member of our staff, both with his fellow crew members and the customers, and he always had some great tales to tell. I wish him all the very best for his retirement.”
Donald Beaton, CalMac’s port manager at Uig on the Isle of Skye, added: “There are not many crew left who have served as long as this.
“We only tended to have quick chats with the crews as the aim was to get the vessel in and back out as quickly as possible, but Finlay was polite and professional in any dealings that I and the staff here at Uig, Tarbert and Lochmaddy had. And we will miss his banter and droll sense of humour.”
Mr MacKillop presented Mr Smith with a picture of the old MV Hebrides – the second David MacBrayne ship to bear the name.