Paddle Steamer Waverley has celebrated 80 years since she was launched into the River Kelvin in Glasgow.
The world’s last seagoing paddle steamer marked the milestone on Friday, 2 October, with a special sailing on the River Thames which saw the historic vessel pass through Tower Bridge.
Waverley left London Tower Pier before travelling downriver to Gravesend and Southend and cruising around the historic Thames Forts.
The ship was launched from the Pointhouse yard of Glasgow shipbuilder A&J Inglis on 2 October 1946, beginning a story which has seen her survive the decline of the Clyde steamers to become one of Britain’s best-known historic vessels.
She officially entered passenger service on 16 June 1947.
Waverley was built for the London & North Eastern Railway and was the final steamer constructed for the company, which was also associated with the famous Flying Scotsman locomotive.
Lady Matthews, wife of LNER chairman Sir Ronald Matthews, launched Waverley in Glasgow.
Speaking at the ceremony in 1946, she praised “the splendour of the Clyde coast scenery”, adding that it “should be viewed from steamers like this”.
The railway connection was recognised again during the 80th anniversary sailing, with LNER managing director David Horne among those joining the celebrations in London.
Paul Semple, general manager of Waverley Excursions, said: “Waverley reaching her 80th anniversary is a remarkable achievement and one that everyone connected with the ship can be incredibly proud of.
“She was built to serve the Clyde coast and, 80 years later, she continues to give tens of thousands of people the opportunity to experience the joy of travelling by steam.
“From her early beginnings with LNER to her survival as a working paddle steamer after being gifted for £1 to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society, Waverley has become much more than a ship.
“She is a living piece of maritime history and a much-loved part of our national heritage.”
Waverley was withdrawn from commercial service in the 1970s before being sold to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society for the symbolic price of £1 in 1974.
She returned to service in preservation the following year and has since carried more than six million passengers on cruises around Scotland and other parts of the UK.
The fully restored vessel can carry up to 750 passengers and retains much of the appearance and character of a 1940s Clyde steamer.
Waverley Excursions said more than 150,000 passengers have travelled aboard the ship in each of the past three summer seasons.
Mr Semple said celebrating the anniversary on the Thames was particularly significant, but added that the ship would return to the waters where her story began for the end of the season.
He said: “It is particularly special to be celebrating her 80th anniversary here in London, sailing through Tower Bridge, while also looking ahead to returning home to the Clyde for the final sailings of our anniversary season.”
A new book, Waverley: 80 Years of Pleasure, compiled by historian Iain Quinn, has also been released to mark the anniversary.
It charts the paddle steamer’s history from her construction and early years on the Clyde through to her preservation and continued operation as a passenger vessel.
Waverley will continue operating on the Thames until Sunday, 11 October, before heading back to Scotland.
Her 2026 season will conclude with two final sailings from Glasgow and around the Clyde coast on Saturday, 17 October and Sunday, 18 October.
The celebrations will be followed by another milestone next year, when Waverley marks 80 years since her maiden passenger voyage on 16 June 1947.