Pursuing smugglers around the Arran coast

Campbeltown was once the base for Her Majesty’s Revenue cutters, the fast single-masted ships used to patrol the coast for smugglers who also used similar vessels.

Captain James Fullerton, a native of Arran, was given command of one of those ships, the Wreckham and thus ‘[spent] his time usefully and honourably’ cruising around his native Arran in pursuit of smugglers. Luckily for these, most of crew was also from Arran, and Kilmory in particular, where a lot of the illicit distilling used to occur.

As a consequence, it seems that Captain Fullerton was quite lenient on his fellow-islanders. He certainly defended many who were accused of smuggling activities until his retirement on Arran in 1816!

The image is of Kilbrannan Sound - the waters that Captain J Fullerton would have sailed when sailing around Arran.

More information on visiting the area can be found here.