MV Juno (1974)

MV Juno was a passenger and vehicle ferry operated by Caledonian MacBrayne on the Firth of Clyde, Scotland between 1974 and 2007.

MV Juno took to the water at Lamont's in Port Glasgow, on 16 September 1974 and was christened by Mrs W M Little, wife of the Managing Director of the Scottish Transport Group, Calmac's owning company at the time.

Juno and Jupiter were remarkably manoeuvrable, being the first in the Calmac fleet to be fitted with Voith Schneider Propellers, which allowed the ships to literally turn within their own length.

Juno spent much of her first decade on the Gourock-Dunoon run, replacing the much smaller MV Maid of Cumbrae.

[1][4] In 1981, the then Secretary of State for Scotland offered the rival firm on the Hunter's Quay-Mclnroy's Point route, Western Ferries, a grant to buy an additional vessel to provide a frequent, high speed passenger-only service from Gourock to Dunoon.

This allowed popularity to grow with Western Ferries, which would otherwise have been vulnerable to being put out of business by the frequent Calmac service.

With the introduction of MV Pioneer on the Clyde in summers, one of the "streakers" was freed up to carry out a series of cruises on weekday afternoons.

Her passenger certificate was to expire on 22 April and MV Argyle, Bute's new sistership was still fitting out in Poland.

Looking over Rosneath bay to the former naval base, with Juno laid up at the pier and MV Saturn alongside.