Paddle Steamer Resources by Tramscape
The
vessel has been out of service since 1981 but is under restoration for an eventual
return to cruising on Scotland's most famous lake. She is open daily (weekends
only in October to January) for inspection and refreshments. Areas of the ship
are also available for hire for private functions. Picture above : September
27th 2009.
Click
here for the updated photo gallery : taken on 27th September 2009
Built in 1953 by A
& J Inglis of Pointhouse, Glasgow
Engines : Compound Diagonal ( 24 and 48 inch x 51 inch) by Rankin and
Blackmore of Greenock, Scotland.
Dimensions: 191 feet (208 ft overall) x 28.1 ft
555 Gross Registered Tonnes
The "Maid" is the
last of the long line of major paddlers built for cruising Britain's
estuaries and lakes. Built by A & J Inglis of Pointhouse,
Glasgow, builders of the famous PS Waverley, she was sent the short
distance to her home port of Balloch on Loch Lomond in pieces by rail
and reassembled on the slip on the outhern end of Scotland's largest
and most famous lake.She was launched on 5th March, 1953 and made her
first scheduled sailing on 25th May.
Replacing two smaller, older steamers, the Maid was the ultimate
development of the paddler, although closely following the format of
Clyde steamers designed in the 1930s. Due to her operation on inland
waters, a two cylinder engine was specified; an engine more typical
of Clyde steamers of the turn of the century.
Painted all white with an all-buff funnel and green boot-topping, her
appearance reminded of the Swiss lake steamers as she plied from
Balloch to the northern head of the Loch. In later years, calls were
limited to Inversnaid, for a bus connection to Stronachlachar on Loch
Katrine to meet SS Sir Walter Scott, and Tarbet. At Tarbet passengers
were collected for the Loch Lomond leg of the Three Lochs Tour,
having disembarked a Clyde steamer, usually PS Waverley, at Arrochar
at the head of Loch Long and reaching Tarbet by a short bus ride or
brisk walk.
After her last public cruise on August 30th 1981, the Maid was put up
for sale. The offer of the Alloa Brewery Company in association with
the local motor launch and marina operators Verigen Ltd, which had
plans to restore her to service was accepted. For varying reasons
these plans failed and between 1982 and 1989, services were provided
by the MV Countess Fiona, the former Clyde motor vessel Countess of
Bredalbane.
New owners for the Maid and the Contess in 1989 were the Australian
Sea Management Corporation in association with the English shipowners
James Fisher & Sons, whose ambitious plans to restore the Maid
and bring an Australian-built catamaran to the Loch were cut short
when Sea management went into liquidation before the start of the
1990 season. Maid of the Loch Ltd was the name of the subsidiary
which operated Countess Fiona during the 1989 season
The Francis Hotel Group based in Newcastle, England purchased the
Maid, the Countess and Balloch Pier from the receivers. Planning to
develop the tourist potential of the Balloch site, it was unclear
whether the Maid featured in the new owner's plans. Little progress
was made and this company also went into liquidation in early
1992.
The local Dumbarton District Council became the next owners, taking
control in December 1992.
Backed by the efforts of local enthusiasts, whose efforts had helped
ensure that the vessel had not deteriorated beyond repair, the Maid
was, in 1995, transferred to the ownership of the Loch Lomond
Steamship Company, a charitable organisation. With a business plan
for future operation, continued volunteer support and increasing
commercial sponsorship, the future for the vessel now looks promising
and the vessel is being restored after years of neglect.
MAID OF THE LOCH - PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION
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Click here for more
photos |
Click
here to take a tour aboard in 2004 |
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27th June 2006 : A Historic Day
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With the slipway alongside the pier at Balloch and its steam machinery renovated and returned to operational condition, Maid of the Loch was winched out of the water for a few hours to test the slipway and inspect the hull. This photo by Lairich Rig was posted on the geograph website and shows her on the historic day. It is reproduced here with thanks as it has been made available under the following Creative Commons licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
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Please support the Maid of the Loch to return
to service
A donation form (including
Gift Aid declaration for UK taxpayers) can be downloaded from the Maid of the
Loch Steamship Company's official website on this link
http://www.maidoftheloch.com/donations.jpg
