Maid of the Loch marks 65th anniversary of its first sailing
LOCH Lomond’s Maid of the Loch, the iconic paddle steamship, is celebrating the 65th anniversary of its maiden voyage.
The historic ship left its Balloch base at 11.25am on May 25, 1953, a week before the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, on a journey that took its 1,000 passengers to Balmaha, Rowardennan, Tarbet, Inversnaid and Ardlui.
For 28 years, the maid became known as the ‘heart’ of Loch Lomond, carrying millions of visitors, including Her Majesty the Queen, Queen Salote of Tonga and the president of Sudan around Scotland’s bonnie banks.
Today, the ship is moored at Balloch Pier as a static tourist attraction following decommissioning in 1981, and it remains at the heart of the community, receiving thousands of visitors each year. Last weekend she welcomed guests new and old on board for a 1950s-themed celebration, with a very special visit from local man Hamish Teaz, 78, who witnessed the maiden sailing 65 years ago.
Hamish said: ‘I remember that day as if it was yesterday, and will never forget the sight of seeing the maid sailing by. It was a quiet day and I was with my dad as we couldn’t get a ticket for the maiden voyage. It’s memory I’ll always hold on to.
‘Sixty-five years on, I’m now a volunteer on the maid, helping to restore her, giving guided tours to visitors and generally assisting in any way I can. It’s a real honour to be here to mark the anniversary.’
While the maid has been moored since 1981, her future looks set to change thanks to an exciting restoration programme led by the charity Loch Lomond Steamship Company (LLSC).
The group of dedicated volunteers has worked tirelessly for more than 20 years to restore the ship to its former glory, and a recent £950,000 grant from the Scottish Government to support the restoration has taken the project significantly closer to its £5.5 million target.
John Beveridge, chairman of the LLSC, said: ‘The Maid of the Loch is a huge part of our cultural heritage, not just for Loch Lomond but for Scotland as a whole.
‘People from all over the world have shared the joy of sailing on this special ship, and we are thrilled to celebrate her 65th maiden voyage.
‘It’s taken more than 20 years, but we are now within reach of gaining the full amount required to get the Maid refurbished and sailing on Loch Lomond once again.
‘The opportunities it will offer in terms of creating jobs and providing economic growth to the area is second to none, and we are very excited about this next chapter in her journey.’