SS VIPER

SS Viper was built at the Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co.'s yard in Govan in 1906 and was 315 feet in length. She had three steam turbines powering the triple screws, making her one of the company's fastest ships with a top speed of 22 knots. The steamer worked the Ardrossan-Belfast route from 1906 to 1914. She served as a troop carrier in the English Channel during the First World War but returned to operation on her pre-war route in 1919. However the unrest in Ireland resulted in the decline in passenger traffic with Scotland and Viper was sold to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co in 1920 and renamed Snaefell.