The railway era had yet to make its impact on the Clyde during the period 1864 to 1888: this was the age of the private steamer company. The 1860s and '70s were the heyday of the all the way steamboat service down the Clyde coast. It was not until the 1880s that the greater convenience of new rail and steamer routes and the increasing pollution of the river eroded a trade by which many steamboat proprietors have previously prospered. This book traces the development of Clyde steamers from the middle of the 1860s to the eve of the railway invasion. From the legendary Iona to the much-loved Lucy Ashton, each ship is described, together with the services they offered. These details are set aginst the social background of the period, the personalities, the engineering developments and the disasters that made this such a fascinating era.