Trossachs tourism felt impact of the war

Perhaps unsurprisingly the war – and the shortage of manpower – impacted on Trossachs tourism, the Observer of 100 years ago this week reported.

It was only with the assistance of female labour that the passenger steamer on Loch Katrine was able to operate.

However, it had not been possible at the start of the tourist season in 1917 for the service to engage sufficient number of male hands to crew the steamer.

It meant visitors who wished to visit Ellen’s Isle or sail up the loch would have to be taken by rowing boats, as happened years before. The suspension of the steamer service also put a halt to the famous Loch Katrine-Loch Lomond tour which had been a favourite with visitors from all over the world.

Tourists would be taken by coach from Callander to the Trossachs where they would sail up Loch Katrine to Stronachlachar. There, they would climb aboard another coach to be taken the 12 miles to Inversnaid where they would sail down Loch Lomond to Balloch. The Observer said: “The tour could be undertaken in the reverse way, going by Loch Lomond first, but the Loch Katrine part of the trip is now lopped off, though the Loch Lomond steamer service is still continued.”

Pedestrians were still able to walk from the Trossachs to Stronachlachar and then on to Loch Lomond.

It was hoped that after the war, when the ban on motor vehicles using the Trossachs Road was expected to be lifted, cars may replace the horsedrawn charabancs that were being used to take people from Callander to Loch Katrine. The rowing boat which sailed on Loch Katrine years before was ‘The Water Witch’.

It had a crew of eight burly Highlanders and tourists were “charmed and delighted with the primitive and most appropriate way of visiting Ellen’s Isle”.

In 1843, a small iron steamer named ‘The Gypsy’ appeared at Loch Katrine, but its tenure was short.

One night, not long after the steamer’s arrival, it disappeared from its berth and no trace could be found.

Some believed that goblins or fairies were responsible for the disappearance of the boat.

But the true story is thought to be that the boatmen – fearing their livelihoods threatened – towed the steamer out on the loch, drilled holes in her side and scuttled her. The boatmen regained their occupation but they couldn’t stop the march of progress.

In 1846, three years after ‘The Gypsy’s’ disappearance – a new steamer, ‘Rob Roy’ was launched on the loch.

It started to sail in 1855 and after 40 years’ service was replaced by the ‘Sir Walter Scott’ which still takes visitors on trips on the loch today.