Maid of Loch on Loch Lomond

[Jimmy]

Here is a pic of the Maid of the Loch sitting in her berth in the gloaming at Balloch pier. She looks all alone and forlorn, her proud body of volunteers say that she will sail again in the next few years but with the current economic climate, I would say that they are being very optimistic . Its last sailing on the loch was in 1981 and sailings stopped due to the lack of interest in trips on the loch although this interest has been rekindled again with several more modern cruise boats on the loch. But will the lonely Maid ever sail again?

.

MAID OF THE LOCH was built by A&J Inglis of Pointhouse, Glasgow. She is by far the largest steamer to ever sail on the loch, so was erected at their yard on the Clyde, dismantled, and transported to Loch Lomond. She was re-assembled on the slipway at Balloch, launched on 5th March 1953, and entered service on 25th May that same year (also Queen Elizabeth II Coronation year and the year the Royal Yacht Britannia was launched.) .



,

[Father Bill]

What an absolutely beautiful vessel! She has been proud, and I'd love to help the wee bit that I might. Have you a mailing address for the society supporting her? I'm a long way away, but that doesn't stop my caring.

[Jimmy]

What an absolutely beautiful vessel! She has been proud, and I'd love to help the wee bit that I might. Have you a mailing address for the society supporting her? I'm a long way away, but that doesn't stop my caring.

This web address gives details of how to contact the charity that runs the Maid
http://www.maidoftheloch.com/News.html

[cessna152towser]

Cosmetically she looks a lot better now than last time I was on board her. That was on the last day of the summer season train service which met the boats at Balloch Pier which ended in the nineteen eighties. The connecting boat to Inversnaid and Ardlui was a smaller one and we had to walk across the deck of the Maid of the Loch to reach it.
Nowadays the train stops a mile short at Balloch Central but I hear that the narrow gauge railway on the Isle of Mull has closed but is to be dismantled and rebuilt to run between Balloch Central and Balloch Pier. If that comes to pass I'd expect interest in the Loch Lomond sailings would be re-kindled and maybe there could be an economic case for a large vessel like the Maid of the Loch to sail again.

[Father Bill]

This web address gives details of how to contact the charity that runs the Maid
http://www.maidoftheloch.com/News.html

Thanks Jimmy!

[Jimmy]

Cosmetically she looks a lot better now than last time I was on board her. That was on the last day of the summer season train service which met the boats at Balloch Pier which ended in the nineteen eighties. The connecting boat to Inversnaid and Ardlui was a smaller one and we had to walk across the deck of the Maid of the Loch to reach it.
Nowadays the train stops a mile short at Balloch Central but I hear that the narrow gauge railway on the Isle of Mull has closed but is to be dismantled and rebuilt to run between Balloch Central and Balloch Pier. If that comes to pass I'd expect interest in the Loch Lomond sailings would be re-kindled and maybe there could be an economic case for a large vessel like the Maid of the Loch to sail again.

Hi Alex,
I've heard this too about the Mull Railway perhaps being sited at Loch Lomond Shores, this would be a great bonus to this site, there was also talk about a tram run along the distance of the shopping centre and towards the Maid.
Certainly Loch Lomond Shores needs a major boost as I belief if Jenners pulled out of the shopping centre then the place would be deserted, even so I was in Jenners over the last 2 weekends and it was not busy.
The tower also has been an overpriced white elephant, the area really needs some thinking out of the box, its not enough to have the farmers market there once a month and a little mock train pulling kids round the the park, so perhaps the Mull Railway would be an enhancement, mind you I was on this railway on Mull a couple of years ago and I thought it was self sustaining financially

[creagdhubh]

Superb photo, Jimmy! It looks rather chilly on the hills in the distance...aww mate, I wish I was there - I don't care how cold it is!

I miss the Highlands...

Cheers,

[BoldHighlander]

Jimmy ~ Thanks for the photo of such a beautiful vessel, & for bringing her plight to our attention. I hope she will sail again soon!