Sir Walter Scott Steamship Story
Steamships on Loch Katrine
Sir Walter Scott was launched in 1900. She was Loch Katrine's fourth steamer. The first being Gypsy, introduced in 1843, providing competition to 'Water Witch', an eight-oared wooden galley.
Gypsy was to sink under mysterious circumstances just a week later, allegedly by the ferrymen who thought the steamer's arrival threatened their jobs. Rob Roy and then Rob Roy II steamers followed until 1900, when Sir Walter Scott was introduced.
Building the Steamship
Sir Walter Scott was commissioned to replace the 'Rob Roy II', which was reaching its end life. She was built at Denny’s Yard in Dumbarton on the River Clyde. After completing her trials on the Clyde, she was dismantled for transportation to Loch Katrine.
Nearly half of the £4,269 purchase price was the delivery charge.
This is understandable considering that she was 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; there she was reconstructed and launched for the first time into Loch Katrine in 1900.
Steamship assembly at Stronachlachar
Cap. John McKinnon
120 years of sailings
In 1900 the newly launched Sir Walter Scott shared sailings in her first year with Rob Roy II. The first master of the steamship was Captain John McKinnon.
When launched, she was licenced to carry over 400 passengers: modern-day restrictions limit passenger numbers to 245. The wheelhouse was enclosed and raised in 1954 to give the captain a clearer view. The boat is 33.5m long and nearly 6 metres wide.
The original steam plant remains in operation, with a pump that draws feedwater from the loch for the boiler. In 2007 the process and ownership of the steamship moved to an independent charitable trust.
In 2008 she moved from coal power to biodiesel and was joined by another cruiser 'The Lady of the Lake, named after Sir Walter Scott's famous poem, and then in 2020 by ‘Rob Roy III’.
2020 was set to be a high-profile year for the Sir Walter Scott Steamship, marking the 120th year of sailing on Loch Katrine. Sadly, the double blow of Covid-19 restrictions and boiler issues meant she could not sail in her celebration year, and her long-term future was seriously threatened.
Due to the success of this appeal, Steamship Sir Walter Scott was restored at the cost of over £750,000, meaning she could resume passenger sailings in June 2023.
Sir Walter Scott Steamship Postcard Collection
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