About PS Maid of the Loch
PS Maid of the Loch (1953) was the last paddle steamer to be built in Britain. Constructed in the Glasgow shipyard of A&J Inglis, the Maid was first of all bolted together and then taken apart, transported to her new home in Balloch on rail wagons and reassembled on the Balloch Slipway before her launch into the sparkling waters of Loch Lomond on Thursday 5th March 1953. She is known as 'The Ship They Built Twice' – or an ‘Up and Doon’ ship.
Licensed to carry 1,000 passengers, the Maid was the largest paddle steamer to sail on Loch Lomond and was host to royal guests and celebrities as well as 3 million day-trippers during her 28 years on the water. Her popularity as a pleasure steamer was at its height in the 1950s and early 1960s, but as the lure of affordable foreign travel beckoned, so passenger numbers and revenue dwindled. Decommissioned in 1981, the Maid was subjected to a sorry period of neglect, decay and vandalism until her purchase, in 1992, by Dunbarton District Council.
About The Loch Lomond Steamship Company
Photo by Russell Anley
In 1996, on the point of dereliction, Maid of the Loch was rescued by the determined volunteers of the Loch Lomond Steamship Company (LLSC), who continue to take care of her to this day. The Loch Lomond Steamship Company is a Charity run entirely by volunteers, who have spent thousands of hours bringing her back to life. Many hundreds of volunteers have helped to rescue the ship from near sinking and return her to her current state. Volunteers perform a wide variety of tasks including maintaining the steam slipway engine, repairing the electrics, painting and varnishing, fixing woodwork, guiding visitors, cleaning and hoovering, organising events, selling merchandise, giving talks to interested groups, welcoming visitors, documenting film and other material, distributing information… the list goes on.
Since 1996, the LLSC has created the Maid as a static visitor attraction; rebuilt the steam slipway; rebuilt Balloch Pier; built new visitor access and car park; and in 2019 completed a £1.1m refit of the ship. The eventual aim is to return the ship to steam so she can carry passengers on Loch Lomond once again.
The Maid is located in the heart of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, an area that now welcomes more than 4 million visitors every year and present day volunteers believe, more than ever, that the ship has a role to play again in offering visitors a unique way to explore the loch, its nature and wildlife and the destinations around its shores. There is also the prospect of providing car free journeys from a railhead in Balloch to locations that at present suffer from too many cars.
Restoration
A £950,000 grant from the Scottish Government Capital Grant Regeneration Fund along with £50,000 from the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society allowed major work to the Maid's engine. It also enabled the installation of a package boiler on the pier that provides enough steam pressure to move the pistons and subsequently the paddle wheels - so LLSC are confident the engine functions after a long time lying dormant. The Queens Lounge and the Aft Deck Saloon have been refurbished to provide ideal spaces for celebrations, performances, educational workshops etc., and a lift was installed between the promenade deck and the main deck so everyone can enjoy “going down to see the engines” once more.
A separate £85,000 project funded by private individuals, The Headley Trust, EB Scotland and The Pilgrim Trust has enabled work to commence on the refurbishment of the Forward Dining Saloon which aims to improve this space. The large mirror on the forward bulkhead has been reinstated.
In June 2021 a new carriage, funded mainly by Historic Environment Scotland, was completed and this allowed the ship to be slipped for essential hull repairs. The hull has now been surveyed and the entire area under the boiler room has been entirely replaced. Another area near the bow is also marked for repair. The aim is to complete this work during 2025 with refloating hoped for in early 2026 and a return to the pier.
Also underway is complete restoration of the paddles. All parts have been removed, blasted and repainted prior to refit but some steelwork will need to be repaired within the starboard paddle box before refitting can recommence. Components of the port paddle floats are presently stored in the forward dining saloon. This work should be completed during 2025. Check out the Restoration page on their website for recent updates.
At weekends, April to October, while the ship is on the slipway for works to her hull and paddles, visitors can book exclusive 'Ship On The Ship' hard hat tours of the ship and to see the amazing work being carried out.
The Steam Slipway and Winch House
The Steam Slipway and Winch House is a vital part of the Maid’s story as it is the only means of taking the ship out of the water for inspection or repair. It was built in 1902 and used until 1989, when it fell into disrepair. As a Grade A listed building it attracted some generous funding and with input from LLSC volunteers, it was rebuilt and officially opened by The Princess Royal in 2006.
A real treat for steam enthusiasts, The Winch House is the only working Steam Winch House in the Northern Hemisphere. Its operational steam boiler house is open every weekends between early April and late October, when visitors can see the steam engine and gearing system, try stoking a ‘boiler’ or hauling on the ropes, or watch films showing how the steam-powered engine pulls the Maid out of the water, or how the new slipway carriage was built by only three people. For an extra treat visit on an ‘In Steam’ weekend when the volunteer engineers have the Winch House boiler fired up, and are delighted to explain how such a small engine can pull the Maid at 555 gross tons up the slipway and out of the water.
The Shipbuilding Museum and Gift Shop
Visitors are also invited to explore the slipway museum which captures the feel and activities of a working shipyard. It is set mid-20th century when Maid of the Loch was built at the yard of A & J Inglis on the banks of the Clyde at Partick. The permanent exhibition showcases important shipbuilding collections of tools and artefacts, and tells stories surrounding shipbuilding, engineering and also the social histories involved in the building of the Maid. Some of our volunteers have provided these artifacts from their own or relatives' time ‘in the yards’.
Our gift shop contains a variety of ‘Maid’ branded clothing, pens, notebooks, art prints, teddies etc. as well as an exclusive range of wooden items expertly turned from original paddle timber from the ship – a chance to own a little piece of Britain’s maritime heritage.
Visitors are very welcome on Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 4pm, from early April until late October. There is no charge to visit the winch house, shipbuilding museum and gift shop. Hour long hard hat tours cost £15 per adult and £5 for children aged 5-15. You must be able to climb a staircase to access the ship. These tours can be booked in advance online or, if capacity allows, are available on the day.
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