The ship is operated by the Steamship Sir Walter Scott Trust, a charitable organisation which was formed in 2005 to preserve the Steamship for the nation and the enjoyment of the public.
Now her 125th anniversary year celebrations have gotten off to a flyer, with hundreds of visitors and locals flocking to the loch to enjoy special New Year festive cruises on the 115-ton, 110-feet long vessel.
The traditional New Year cruises follow a busy December at Loch Katrine with popular ‘Spirit of Christmas’ sailings and ‘Sail with Santa’ cruises.
READ MORE:
Plans approved to combat climate change at Loch Katrine
Crowds flock to new scenic tower at ‘birthplace of Scottish tourism’
Historic steamship restored and back sailing on Loch Katrine
Passengers on January 1 and 2 cruises toasted the arrival of 2025, accompanied by live music from the Ian Muir Band, led by Neil MacMillan from Rowardennan.
James Fraser, CEO and Trustee of the Steamship Trust, said: “The cruises attracted many regulars and a good mix of visitors from around the UK and overseas who enjoyed traditional Scottish live music.
“More American visitors than usual also joined us due to the cancellation of the New Year celebration events in Edinburgh following adverse weather warnings, and they loved their time on the loch in great company and good weather.
“The cruises marked the beginning of a very special year for the Steamship Sir Walter Scott, which celebrates 125 years of sailing on Loch Katrine.
“Events planned for this landmark year include a Steamboat Festival Weekend in June and a programme of Steamship Live Music Sailings. There are also plans to produce an anniversary Souvenir Guide which charts the rich and diverse history of the steamship and the people who have sailed on her over the past 125 years.’’
Live music on the New Year Festive sail on Steamship Sir Walter Scott, with Neil MacMillan (pictured right) (Image: Paul Saunders)
After being built in 1899, the Steamship Sir Walter Scott was conveyed in sections from Dumbarton along the River Leven, towed to Inversnaid, carried overland by horse-drawn wagons and reassembled at Stronachlachar on Loch Katrine. Half of the total bill of £4,269 was related to the cost of delivery.
It has never sailed any waters other than Loch Katrine, which has been supplying Glasgow’s drinking water since 1859.
A £1.3 million refurbishment, which began in 2007, converted the vessel from being coal-fuelled to being powered by Scottish smokeless biofuel to reduce the environmental pollution and to cut the risk of diesel spilling into Glasgow’s water supply.
Loch Katrine’s Spring/Summer cruise schedule begins on March 29, featuring three daily sailings aboard the historic ship. In the meantime, visitors can still experience the beauty of Loch Katrine aboard Lady of the Lake, with five 45-minute sailings each day—offering an opportunity to sail through the winter wonderland scenery.
Visitors to Loch Katrine this winter have also been wowed by the views from the scenic tower that opened last summer above Trossachs Pier.
A view of Loch Katrine from the scenic tower (Image: Paul Saunders)
Offer dramatic views of Loch Katrine and the surrounding hills, the tower, which was installed by The Steamship Sir Walter Scott Trust, is reached by a hand-built 200-metre stone path, reinstating a route that had been overgrown for decades.
It is the final phase of the wider £2million Trossachs Visitor Management Project led by the Steamship Trust in partnership with other local charities, Trossachs community groups and agencies.
The viewpoint (site of the tower & lookouts) was home to two wicker huts built in the late 1780s by Lady Drummond of Perth for artists and writers to stay and be inspired by the magic of the Trossachs’s changing landscape. A new road blasted out of rock made the huts more easily accessible by horse and carriage at that time.
Many leading Victorian artists and writers such as Keats, the Wordsworths and Sir Walter Scott all visited it and published popular works.