Thursday June 29th 1899

Messr's J. & W.R. McIntosh Boatbuilders have just laid the keel of a steam liner for Messr's Johnson & Co. Aberdeen. The vessel which will be 85ft keel & 90ft o'all is being built on the shore at Ianstown & will cost £1000 for the hull & £1000 for the engines. It is expected to occupy 3 months in building. Mr. W.R. McIntosh has presently in his building shed the largest Zulu he has yet constructed. She will be ready for launching on Tuesday 1st being the sixth boat Mr. McIntosh has launched since September. She is built to the order of Mr. George Smith "Jeem" & her dimensions are keel 56ft - o'all 74ft - depth 11ft - beam 19ft.

Thursday Sept 28th 1899

The new steam liner being built for Messr's Johnson & Co. Aberdeen at Ianstown by Messr's J & W.R. McIntosh is nearing completion. Many of the local fishermen have inspected her as building has progressed, & have admired the fine fleet lines on which she has been built. One result has been that two families of Buckie fishermen, those of Mr. George Murray "Bodge" & Mr. George Murray "Burd" have placed an order with Messr's McIntosh for a vessel of similar dimensions to that now on the stocks, with the difference that while the present vessel will draw 10.5ft, the new one will draw 9.5ft. It is estimated the cost of the new vessel will be about £2500, about £1000 for the building of the vessel & the rest for engines &'c. Prices, have risen greatly of late, has added materially to the cost. It has not yet been decided where the engines will be put in. It is expected the keel of the new steamer will be laid within a month.

Nov 23rd 1899

The first Buckie owned steam liner was built in Aberdeen, so it is merely in the nature of a return compliment that the first Buckie built steam liner should be owned in Aberdeen. At the time that the Star of Hope was launched it was freely remarked that if the venture caught on among Moray fishermen it would injure the trade of the local boatbuilders, seeing that wood & iron are two entirely different materials to manipulate in the manufacture of a fishing craft. The launch at Ianstown on Saturday of the White Rose of Aberdeen by Messr's McIntosh on the beach at Ianstown has been watched with great interest for months past by fishermen & others & although this is the first vessel of its kind the firm have tried their skill on, it at an early period of its construction became apparent that vessel was to exhibit the beautiful and fleet lines so clear to the mariners eye. As the skeleton became clothed those indications were emphasized, and many were the favourable comments on her beautiful mould. So much was the case that several Buckie fishermen have combined to place an order with the same firm for a similar vessel - the keel of which has already been laid.

The White Rose is a substantially built wooden vessel with oak & larch timbers. Her dimensions are 85'6" keel - 92'6" o'all - 19'21/2" beam - 13'91/2" from top of keel to top of rail & 11'6" to top of beam. It had been intended to launch the White Rose a week or two ago, but tides & weather did not prove suitable. On Saturday morning however the steam liner Caledonia A693 belonging to the same owners Messr's Johnson & Co. Aberdeen, arrived at Cluny harbour with the intention of towing the new boat to Aberdeen, where she will be fitted with her engines by Messr's Clyne & Mitchell. Meanwhile the ways for launching had been prepared, but at high tide a few minutes before launching at 12-25pm there was such a swell on the sea that it began to knock away some of the planks & undermine the supports, indicating the necessity to hasten the ceremony. By this time great numbers of fishermen & others had gathered in anticipation of the novel spectacle. The preliminary preparations were rapidly completed & when all was ready Miss Williamina McIntosh, daughter of Mr. John McIntosh, the builder, broke a bottle of spirits on the stem, at the same time christening the vessel the White Rose & wishing her good luck. The last wedge been driven out, the vessel began to glide gracefully stern foremost towards her new element, amid the cheers of the assembled crowd. With increasing speed she plunged into the water, the north staging yielding to the weight. The launch, however, had been most successfully accomplished, and the vessel got such a good send off that she held on to meet the Caledonia, which lay some distance offshore. A tow rope was speedily passed from her to the White Rose & in another hour the Caledonia put on full speed ahead for Aberdeen, & was soon lost to sight. The skipper of the White Rose is Mr. John Craig Torry, who is also part owner, & he will have with him two of his sons.