Final push to save maritime treasure
A fundraising appeal to restore one of Scotland’s most important maritime heritage treasures has entered a crucial phase.
The Save our Steamship public funding appeal is making a final push to raise the outstanding money required to restore the historic Steamship Sir Walter Scott.
The 122-year-old Sir Walter Scott has been out of service on Loch Katrine since 2020 following the discovery of cracks in the boilers. So far £330,000 of the £500,000 required for the restoration has been secured by the Steamship Trust, custodians of the steamship Sir Walter Scott on behalf of the nation.
As James Fraser, trustee and chief executive officer of the Steamship Trust, explains, this success is mainly due to the enormous public support for the appeal.
‘Almost every day, we’re receiving public donations, large and small, often accompanied by messages showing their deep affection for the Sir Walter Scott,’ he said.
‘We are therefore much closer to being able to save, restore and bring back into service Scotland’s much-loved and oldest passenger carrying steamer. We are refocusing the appeal with a mission to raise the outstanding £170,000 in the next 100 days to get Sir Walter Scott sailing again later this summer.
‘We believe that ambitious target can be met with further public support and would welcome any donations and sponsorships to help fund new decking and other important restoration work.’
The 100-day campaign began on Friday March 18 and finishes on Sunday June 26 when, if the remaining funds have been secured, the trust should be able to reintroduce Sir Walter Scott sailings on Loch Katrine. Members of the public can support the appeal via www. saveoursteamship.com.
Sir Walter Scott is Loch Katrine’s fourth steamer. Built during 1899 at William Denny & Bros in Dumbarton, she was dismantled after trials and transported in sections by barge up the River Leven and Loch Lomond to Inversnaid. From there, teams of horses lugged the steamship up the steep hills to Stronachlachar. She was reconstructed there and launched into Loch Katrine in 1900.
The original steam plant remains intact, with a pump that draws feedwater from the loch for the boiler. In 2008, the steamship moved from coal power to biodiesel. With a return to operation this year, introducing a new ground-breaking green hydrogen and vegetable oil fuel to replace biodiesel would reduce CO2 emissions by more than 90 per cent and contribute to the Steamship
Trust’s net-zero ambition. The historic steamship is a popular symbol of Loch Katrine which, when operational, glides quietly through its pure waters. In 1859, the loch became a reservoir supply water to much of west and central Scotland.
Through ingenious Victorian engineering, 23.5 miles of aqueducts and tunnels carried clean water for the first time to the city of Glasgow, transforming the health of its vast population.
Still in operation today, up to 120 million gallons per day can be extracted from the loch through this system, with the famous Tennant’s Lager brewed with water from the loch.
The appeal will not only save a national maritime heritage treasure but bring benefits to a wide range of people as the steamship can carry 220 passengers and is accessible for all mobility and sensory needs.
She also plays a crucial role in supporting the wider Trossachs economy, providing and helping to, directly and indirectly, sustain many jobs.