Here is a pic of the Maid of the Loch sitting in her berth in the gloaming at Balloch pier. She looks all alone and forlorn, her proud body of volunteers say that she will sail again in the next few years but with the current economic climate, I would say that they are being very optimistic . Its last sailing on the loch was in 1981 and sailings stopped due to the lack of interest in trips on the loch although this interest has been rekindled again with several more modern cruise boats on the loch. But will the lonely Maid ever sail again?

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MAID OF THE LOCH was built by A&J Inglis of Pointhouse, Glasgow. She is by far the largest steamer to ever sail on the loch, so was erected at their yard on the Clyde, dismantled, and transported to Loch Lomond. She was re-assembled on the slipway at Balloch, launched on 5th March 1953, and entered service on 25th May that same year (also Queen Elizabeth II Coronation year and the year the Royal Yacht Britannia was launched.) .



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