Welcome to the Home Page for the MAID OF THE LOCH, Loch Lomond's Paddle Steamer. Visit her by the Bonnie, Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond, at Balloch Pier.

The Maid is open to the public as a Visitor Attraction; and as a totally unique venue for events and functions.

She is open every Saturday 11am - 4pm and Sunday 2pm to 4pm until the end of August. The Maid is closed during winter, but will re-open again at Easter 2012. There is plenty car parking adjacent, and limited access for the less abled. Admission is free. Donations are most welcome and helps the upkeep of the Maid. 

The Balloch Steam Slipway is a 1902 heritage attraction, with "In Steam" days at weekends until the end of September. It shares the same opening times as the Maid, and entry is free. 

LLSC is a charity registered in Scotland (No. SC024062). All Directors and volunteers give of their time free. We have no paid staff

 

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In Steam for 2013

Our aim is to return the Maid to steam operation in 2013. We have raised and invested over £1.6M in the Maid and infrastructure since 1996, and committed over 62,000 hours of our volunteers time to her restoration so far. We need £3.3M to get her sailing again so watch this space, and please contribute what you can! Full details about our fundraising will appear here in due course

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Latest News

EASTER OPENING - SEE ROPE SPLICING & ENGINE TOURS

Maid of the Loch and the Balloch Steam Slipway will be open on Friday 6th April to Monday 9th April, 11am to 4pm each day. Admission is free.

For the very first time there will be rope splicing demonstrations, by one of the Maid's volunteers who is a time served navy seaman. He will show how to repair a damaged rope by cutting out the damaged section and joining the two parts together to form an even stronger rope. The demonstrations will take place each day on the Maid (weather permitting) at 1.30pm, 2.30pm, and 3.30pm - a small donation to the Maid's restoration fund will be asked for.

Also for the first time, there will be a guided your of the engine room. On Friday 6th April only, and at 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm, a limited number of visitors will be given a tour by one of our volunteer engineers. Again, a small donation to funds will be requested.

We will also have DVD's of the Maid's history and restoration on show; a sale of 2nd hand books, teas & coffees & cakes will be available.

The Balloch Steam Slipway will be "In Steam" on each of the four days, and our volunteer engineers will be on hand to explain how the machinery works, and answer any questions. The children's favourite - blowing the steam whistle - will be set up and waiting to be pulled. 

This is the first in a series of fundraising events this year.

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We are advertising for caterers for 2012, and seeking expressions of interest for providing food and drink every day, as well as for events and functions. Adverts are being placed in local newspapers the week commencing 27 February. Anyone interested is invited to send their contact details to mail@maidoftheloch.com and we will send them further information on contract details etc.

New signage for the Maid is being devised with our new logo, thanks to a £2,000 grant from West Dunbartonshire Council's Tourism Grant Scheme. This will hopefully provide new signs on board the steamer, and directional signs locally.

West Dunbartonshire Council are also assisting us with providing an educational facility on the Maid, so we can hold visits from schools on aboard and give them guided tours of the ship, explaining the engineering, navigational, and tourism heritage of the vessel.

This year we have put a viewing window in the starboard side paddlebox so the paddlewheel can be seen in detail; refurbishment of the wheelhouse and Captain's Cabin is underway so visitors can see what it looked like when the Maid was sailing; and the Queens' Restaurant is to be improved and redecorated.