I was delighted to be joined by Council colleagues today in my ward for a tour of paddle steamer the Maid of the Loch, which is currently hoisted out of the water being renovated and restored by volunteers. Thank you to Cllr Clare Steel and Cllr Karen Conaghan for travelling from Clydebank and Dumbarton respectively to take the tour and learn more about this vessel and what it can do for our community and beyond.
If you’re local to the area, you already know the Maid, many of you will have had the pleasure of sailing on her, but since 1981 when she was decommissioned, she’d been left to the elements, moored near the mouth of Loch Lomond in Balloch.
A dedicated band of volunteers have been working since 1996 to restore her to her former glory, and it is now clear that she WILL sail the Loch again.
You can read all about the Loch Lomond Steamship Company charity and their ambitious plans at https://www.maidoftheloch.org
She’s open for visitors and access is free (although you can of course leave a donation to help the restoration). I’d highly recommend going down and taking a look while she’s out of the water. It’s a rare opportunity to see parts of the ship usually hidden.
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