MV Cowal in 1954. She inaugurated the regular Wemyss Bay to Rothesay car ferry service, on 1 October 1954 and remained in the upper Clyde for her whole career. From 1957 the three "A, B, C" sisters were working interchangeably. In May 1970, "Cowal" inaugurated a short-lived seasonal Fairlie-Tarbert-Brodick service. When this ended in September 1971, "Cowal" operated between Largs and Millport, until displaced in March 1972 by the former Skye ferry on the quicker Largs to Cumbrae Slip run. With linkspans at Gourock and Dunoon, the hoist-loading "Bute" and "Cowal" were restricted to the Wemyss Bay to Rothesay crossing, where "Cowal"
Highland Scottish Initially, upon deregulation, Highland continued to enjoy the monopoly position across much of its operating area. Competition started around Fort William with the arrival of a new company, Gaelic Bus, owned by Alexander MacConnacher, Brecklet, Ballachulish. However, it was the competition in the biggest town in the Highland Scottish network that was to prove controversial. Highland Scottish was the sole operator in Inverness and provided all bus services in and around the town. However, in May 1988, a group of ex-Highland drivers formed Inverness Traction Ltd, operating a fleet of leased minibuses and operating in parallel to Highland's Inverness network.