Falls of Halladale was a notable four-masted iron-hulled barque constructed in 1886 at the Russell & Co. shipyard in Greenock, Scotland. She measured 275.2 feet (83.9 meters) in length, with a breadth of 41.6 feet (12.7 meters) and a depth of hold of 23.9 feet (7.3 meters). Her gross register tonnage was 2,085 GRT, with a net tonnage of 2,026 NRT. Built for the Falls Line of Glasgow (Wright, Breakenridge & Co.), she was part of a series of eight similar Scottish iron sailing ships, all named after waterfalls in Scotland, and was the seventh vessel in this sequence. Her design featured advanced safety and efficiency measures for her time, including elevated bridges to facilitate crew movement during heavy seas. Falls of Halladale's service primarily involved long-distance bulk cargo trading, a typical role for barques of her era. She was launched on 21 July 1886 and registered in Glasgow on 9 August of the same year, bearing the British Official Number 93300. Her sister ship, Falls of Garry, followed in 1886, and her sister ships included vessels like Falls of Clyde, now preserved as a museum ship in Honolulu. Her most infamous event was her wreck on 14 November 1908 near Peterborough, Victoria, Australia. Navigating in dense fog, she was driven directly onto rocks due to the negligence of her captain, Captain David Wood Thomson. The crew of 29 abandoned the ship safely and reached shore by boat, despite the vessel still having her sails set. The court found Captain Thomson guilty of gross misconduct for careless navigation and improper procedures, resulting in a fine and a six-month suspension of his certification. Today, the shipwreck of Falls of Halladale lies about 300 meters offshore, resting on its starboard side in waters ranging from 3 to 15 meters deep. The wreck has become a popular site for recreational diving and is protected as a historic shipwreck. Many of her cargo—over 56,000 roof slates—and remnants of barbed wire coils remain at the site, with some artifacts like an anchor recovered and displayed at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The wreck's remains serve as a significant maritime relic, illustrating the shipbuilding heritage of 19th-century Scottish maritime enterprise.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.