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PS Maid of the Loch |
G83 8QX Alexandria Balloch, Great Britain (UK) (Scotland) |
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| Address |
Loch Lomond
1Pier Road |
| Floor area | unfortunately not known yet |
Navy / Watercraft
- Steam engines/generators/pumps
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Opening times
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Easter - end of October: 10am-5pm. There are “In Steam” days at Easter, then most Saturdays and Sundays from June until the end of September. |
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Status from 01/2019
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We don't know the fees. | ||||
| Contact |
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| Homepage | www.maidoftheloch.org | ||||
maidoftheloch.org 
| Location / Directions |
Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Central Scotland and the Highlands. Traditionally forming part of the boundary between the counties of Stirlingshire and Dunbartonshire, Loch Lomond is split between the council areas of Stirling, Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire. Its southern shores are about 23 kilometres (14 mi) northwest of the centre of Glasgow, Scotland's largest city. The Loch forms part of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park which was established in 2002. The local railway line stops at Balloch whereas the Main line stops at Dumbarton, Helensburgh, Arrochar and Ardlui. Glasgow Aiport is 20 minutes away by Car or Taxis Buses run regularly from Glasgow By RailMost people will arrive by Rail in the West of Scotland either at Glasgow Central or Queen Street Stations.From Glasgow Central: Follow the signs for the "Low Level" trains and buy a ticket for Balloch. The platform you want is the "Westbound". You will need to change at "Partick" station or you will end up at Milngave. The journey will take you around 45mins. From Queen Street: Buy a ticket for Balloch and catch the Balloch train from the Westbound platform. You will not need to change and the journey will take you around 45mins Balloch Tourist information is directly opposite the Station if you need onward directions. The Pier is a 10 minute walk from the station. By BusBuses run from Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station to Balloch Bus Station |
| Description | From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Construction Maid of the Loch was built by A. & J. Inglis of Glasgow, launched on Thursday 5 March 1953, and entered service later that year. She is a "knock down" ship: that is, after assembly at the shipyard she was dismantled, and shipped to the loch by rail to Balloch at the south end of the loch, and there her sections were reassembled on a purpose built slipway. The tonnage measures 555 grt, and the length is 208 ft (63 m). Her two-cylinder compound diagonal steam engine is less advanced than had become usual on steamers such as the PS Waverley, but was considered suitable for the limited area of operations. Restoration In 1992 Dumbarton District Council bought Maid of the Loch and restoration work started. In 1995 the Council supported a group of local enthusiasts in setting up a charitable organisation, the Loch Lomond Steamship Company, to take over ownership and carry on restoration. She became ready for static operation with a cafe/bar and function suite in autumn 2000. The key to the restoration was the repair and refurbishment of the slipway adjacent to the pier at Balloch. There not being any connection to the sea it was not possible to take the ship to a dry dock for repairs to the hull so a slipway with a steam-operated cable-hauled cradle had been built. This had fallen into disrepair by the 1990s and eventually a Heritage Lottery Fund grant was awarded along with assistance from local and Scottish governmental organisations. This enabled the paddle steamer to be lifted out of the water on 27 June 2006. Incident in January 2019 In January 2019, MacKay Boat Builders oversaw a failed attempt to winch the ship out of the water up a slipway was abandoned when the ship "slipped its ties" allowing her to slide backwards back into the loch. As a result of the incident, the Health and Safety Executive are now undertaking an investigation. What to seeAdmire the fine views of Ben Lomond from three different levels of decks on the Maid of the Loch historic steamship. Learn from displays about how the Maid was transported in parts from Glasgow and assembled on the slipway before entering service. Read about our plans for getting the Maid sailing again and for developing the pier. Nestled in the heart of the ship is the engine room. See the giant cranks and pistons used to power the enormous paddle wheels. Steam Slipway The Balloch Steam Slipway is a 1902 heritage attraction, rebuilt in 2006 with the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund. There are “In Steam” days at Easter, then most Saturdays and Sundays from June until the end of September. See the steam engine and gearing system in operation; try the interactive displays; or watch the audio visuals describe how the slipway pulls the Maid out of the water. |
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