This is the final article on the Loch Lomond steamers. It is mostly pictorial in nature with a brief description of the history from 1896 until services on Maid of the Loch ceased operating in 1982. There were sailings after that by Countess Fiona but they are beyond my scope and best covered by the books cited at the end of the article.

The Queen at Ardlui

The opening of the Caledonian railway line between Glasgow and Dumbarton on October 1st, 1896, signalled the joint ownership, with the North British, of the line between Dumbarton and Balloch, and joint ownership of the steamers on Loch Lomond. On the water, a new pennant was raised with the letters DBJLC—representing the Dumbarton and Balloch Joint Line Committee—superimposed on each other on white with a red background. The funnels were painted red with a black top, loosing the white band of the North British. The livery of grey hulls and pink panneling lasted until nationalization though various shades of grey and pink or red were employed at different times.

The Queen in Joint-Line colours flying the house-flag (Gilchrist)

The Queen at Tarbet

Locally, the population of the Vale of Leven was unimpressed with the new arrangements. The expected improvements in service and reductions in fares did not materialize.

“Saturday was the last of the summer arrangements for tourist traffic on Loch Lomond and on Monday the single sailing begins. Since the advent of the Caledonian Railway Co. into this Eldorado of the North British Railway no change of any kind has taken place and a disappointed public have been showing the Directors of both railways rather plainly that the era of exclusive fares to Loch Lomond must now be a thing of the past. It was the expectation of everyone, even the local railway officials, that the opening of the new line on the 1st inst. would see a sweeping reduction in the rates of travelling. But seemingly other counsels have prevailed, the general belief being that it was importune to introduce innovations at the fag end of the season and at a time, too, when owing to the poor prospect in regard to the weather no extra rush of passengers might be looked for. The fares on Loch Lomond have always formed a source of indignation to the great middle class travelling public. The loch is only some 22 miles in length and for a sail from head to foot the quite unique charge of three shillings has been made since the institution of steamboats on its waters, while a return ticket may be had for an extra sixpence. On the Loch Lomond steamers there is no steerage accommodation unless that tiny portion in front of the fore saloon popularly known as the “neb” may be called such. The whole of the upper deck is regarded as sacred to cabin passengers, there being no division at the funnel as is common on the Columba and other Clyde steamers. It seems therefore imperative, or the two competing lines will be no boon or blessing at all, that not only should a diminution in fares be made but also a rearrangement of the economy of the steamers to suit the two classes of travellers. In recent years a great improvement has been made in the Loch Lomond fleet. Two of the steamers, however, are about 40 years old and one, at any rate, is fit only for the foundry. The other, the Prince of Wales, is a very strongly built, substantial boat and is used for the winter services but her engines, which are placed in her in a reverse way and so always work backwards, have done their duty and are now ready for a museum. The two latest additions to the fleet, The Queen and Empress, are smart, elegant vessels of modern type and construction. There is great rivalry between them in the matter of speed but there has never been any side by side race although The Queen, with a third less engine power than the other, holds the record for the fastest passage from Ardlui to Balloch. It might not be thought that on an inland loch the subject of speed would excite the minds of captains, crews or passengers either, but it is so and on a summer afternoon when the steamer is well up to time considerable interest is invoked on board by the vessel being made to run the measured mile. This measured mile only dates from the time of the frosts two years ago when surveyors gauged it on the ice and erected land marks on the adjacent island of Inchmurrin. With such an up to date thing as a measured mile, with crews which have quite caught the Clyde fever of racing and with a public howl of disappointment ringing in their ears it is now high time that the joint companies set about considering whether a new boat is to be built or not for next season, how much Balloch pier is to be enlarged so that there may be no weary wait as has been the case up to now and to what extent the fares are to be reduced.”—Lennox Herald, October 17, 1896

Empress off Inversnaid

The Queen at Ardlui

At Caledonian request on October 25th, the long-time manager of the Loch Lomond steamers, with a record dating to the last years of the old Lochlomond Steamboat Company, Mr Thomas M‘Lean, was dismissed, and replaced by a Caledonian man, Mr Wm. J. Fraser, who had previously been the manager of the Loch Tay Steamboat Company. His opinion was that the Prince Consort was not fit for the trade and she was laid up. Matters came to a head with the opening of the 1897 season when excellent spring weather brought crowds of excursionists to the Loch, a great many from the large catchment available to the Caledonian Railway. Empress and The Queen were dispatched with a full complement of passengers, but the new manager restricted Prince of Wales to just 300, leaving some disappointed passengers from a Caledonian train, and several hundred from a later arriving North British train.

The fall-out focused the attention of both railway companies on the inadequacy of the older steamers and plans to replace them. While there was agreement that two new steamers were required, there was significant disagreement on the nature of the vessels.

Empress heading south from Luss

The Queen heading north from Luss

The more conservative North British proposed two steamers that were improved versions of the Empress; 165 feet in length, and so able to be taken up the Leven, with two-cylinder simple diagonal engines, and hay-stack boilers. The proposal from the Caledonian Railway and their allies, the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway, backed by the manager of the new Caledonian Steam Packet Co., on the Clyde, was for two much larger steamers of 190 ft in length, with two crank, four-cylinder triple-expansion diagonal engines, and navy boilers. There was considerable difference in the initial costs, due, not least to the need to assemble the larger steamers at Balloch. After some discussions and adjustments made by the Joint-Line Committee, agreement could not be reached and the matter was sent to arbitration. The arbitor, Sheriff Cheyne’s report, favoured the North British and provides good insight into the issues.

“The Loch Lomond steamers.—The Arbitrator’s Findings.—Sheriff Cheyne as standing arbitrator in the dispute which arose between the Caledonian Railway Company and the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway Company on the one part and the North British Railway Company on the other, regarding the size and type of the new steamboats which are required for service on Loch Lomond has issued his finding. He proposes, subject to any representation he may receive within a week, to find and determine that the two new steamers which the parties are agreed are required for the accommodation of the traffic on Loch Lomond shall be, as proposed by the members of the Joint-Line Committee appointed by the North British Railway Company, paddle-steamers with pair of simple jet condensing engines with hay-stack boilers, 165ft. by 21ft. by 5ft. 9in., with draught 4ft. 2in. and speed of 14½ knots, and to ordain the Joint-Line Committee to take immediate steps for the construction of two such steamers. In his note Sheriff Cheyne says with regard to the relative cost of the two proposed boats, that he estimates that the cost of the proposed 190ft. boat, which owing to its length could not be taken up the Leven but must be put together at the loch side, would be about £17,500, and if the proposed 165ft. boat were to be constructed under similar conditions he thought its cost might fairly enough be stated at £15,000, a difference of £2,500. With regard, however, to the latter boat, while it would undoubtedly be necessary that she should be put together at the loch side, if the contract for her were being made in the autumn and she were required to be in her station at the opening of the next summer season, it appeared to him that in the actual circumstances it would be a sheer waste of money to contract for her on that footing, inasmuch as, if contracted for in the course of this spring, she could easily be ready by 1st November, and assuming her to be ready by that date, there was not, in his judgment, the slightest reasonable doubt that she would get up the Leven in the course of next winter. It was true that the Empress lost a season by her failure to get up the river, but it was proved that this would not have happened had she been ready at the time originally fixed—viz., 1st December. Now, Messrs lnglis’s offer for a 165 feet boat of the type proposed by the North British representatives to be built on the Clyde and taken up to Loch Lomond by the Leven was £11,500, and looking to the date at which he was giving his vote between the two proposals, he felt bound to hold that the comparison of cost must be between that sum and the sum of £17,500, which he took to be the cost of the larger boat. In other words, he thought that the difference in capital expenditure, according as the motion or amendment was adopted, would be £12,000 (this difference would be somewhat reduced if compound engines were to be substituted for simple engines in the 165 feet boats), or to put it differently, that the Joint Line Committee would get three 165 feet boats of the proposed type for the same money as two 190 feet boats of the proposed type would cost them. It was suggested at an early stage in the proof that the additional charges for interest on a capital and depreciation entailed by the acquisition of the larger boats would be to a considerable extent compensated by a saving in the coal account, as these boats being fitted with compound engines and navy boilers would, it was said, consume much less coal than the smaller ones fitted with simple engines and haystack boilers would do; but the result of the later and more strictly scientific evidence was to satisfy him that while there might be a saving in the coal consumpt if the larger boats were, like the smaller ones, to be worked under natural draught, there would be none if the larger boats were worked under forced and the smaller ones under natural draught, which was what was contemplated. All the witnesses, however, appeared to give compound engines the preference over simple engines, and in view of that unanimity of opinion it was for the consideration of the parties whether they ought not to introduce compound engines into the new boats. In regard to the passenger capacity of the two proposed boats, in the absence of definite plans it seemed difficult, if not impossible, to determine this point with any degree of certainty. It came out pretty clearly, however, that the boat proposed by the Caledonian and Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Companies could be so constructed as to get a certificate for at least 1120 passengers, and if her lines were drawn a little less fine she would, he believed, be certificated for even a larger number. But if that were so he failed to see why the boat proposed by the North British Company should not be so designed as to obtain a certificate for 900 passengers, and a study of the careful and valuable evidence given by Mr Gray and Mr Irving had satisfied him that that was not a very extravagant estimate of the boat’s passenger capacity. But while the evidence led before him might warrant the expectation that the proposed 165ft. boat would be certified for 900, or nearly 900, passengers, he thought it right to take the case upon the assumption, which he considered a perfectly safe one, that her passenger capacity would only be 850 as against 1120 for the larger boat. Since the proof was closed the parties had had the Empress measured by the Board of Trade surveyor, who stated that the available passenger space in her would suffice for the accommodation of 792 persons, but that as tested and calculated by him he was not prepared to grant her a certificate for a larger number than she was previously certified for—viz., 699. He felt he was not rash in holding that the owners of the 165ft. boat might reasonably calculate on her obtaining a certificate for at least 58 more passengers than the Empress would, if she were thoroughly stable, be licensed to carry. The number of passengers carried on the loch in the two years preceding the commencement of the Joint Line operations averaged about 108,000. Last year, which was the Joint Line’s first year, the numbers rose to 148,000, being an increase of 40,000, or about 37 per cent. This was undoubtedly a very substantial rise, and it was, according to the Caledonian Company’s evidence, obtained without any large reduction in fares, such as they said they were prepared to make if they got what they regarded as suitable steamers. It was difficult from only one year’s experience to gauge to what extent the traffic might be developed with lower fares and improved boat accommodation, but, having regard to the largeness of the area served by the Caledonian Company, and now for the first time brought into direct communication with Loch Lomond by the Caledonian system, he certainly would expect not merely that last year’s traffic would be maintained, but that there would be a considerable annual development of it, though it might be questioned whether subsequent years would show a ratio of increase at all proportionate to last year’s increase, which in some degree, at all events, might have been due to the novelty of a new work. It was also to be kept in mind, as increasing the uncertainty of the position, that Loch Lomond side did not at present hold out the same attractions in the way of lodging accommodation or public-houses to cheap trippers as the Clyde resorts did. As to existing boat accommodation, The Queen and Empress, at present certificated for 630 and 699 passengers respectively, and both of them 165ft. in length by 20ft. beam, were comparatively new boats, and, appeared to be in good condition and well enough suited for the work they had to do. The other vessels belonging to the Joint Line were the Prince of Wales (153ft. by 18½ft.), which was built in 1853 and was certificated for 669 passengers. and the Prince Consort (151ft. by 18ft.), which was built in 1862 and was certificated for 500 passengers. Both these last-mentioned boats were out of date and hardly fit for use—the Prince Consort, indeed, was described as “done,” and all the companies were agreed that they were to be replaced by two new steamers. It was important, however, to notice that the existing fleet nominally provided accommodation for 2498 passengers, and that this, if it had been fully available, was in amount more than sufficient for last year’s traffic. In point of fact there was only one occasion last season on which any passenger had to be left behind-viz., the Glasgow and Edinburgh Spring Holiday. The accommodation was required on that day appeared to have been 2000 or 2100, which was well within the nominal capacity of the fleet, and while it was the case that about 400 of the above number were left on the pier at Balloch, the short shipment was due to the declinature of the Joint line manager to employ the Prince Consort (the seaworthiness of which he seemed to have doubted), and to his sending away the Prince of Wales with only one-half of her complement. He had been led to entertain a clear and decided opinion that it was his duty to give his vote in favour of the proposal made in the Joint Line Committee by the representatives of the North British Company. He fully recognised that the three companies had invested a large capital in the joint undertaking, and that in order to get a fair return on such capital they must in their own interest be prepared to give all reasonable facilities for developing the traffic, and he also recognised that nowadays passengers liked and expected a little more elbow-room and somewhat greater comfort than they were formerly content with; and further, that it was necessary, when dealing with a route of this sort, to make provision for those large excursions which were a feature of the present day; but so far as he could at this stage of the Joint Line’s career form an opinion upon the point, he thought it certain that, with the four steamers which would be upon the loch by the commencement of the summer season of 1899, and the accommodation furnished by which would be 20 per cent. in advance of the nominal, and well on to 90 per cent. in advance of what might (looking to the action of the manager of the Joint Line) be regarded as the available passenger capacity of the existing fleet, the companies would be able to meet the requirements of the suffice for at least five or six years to come, and, if at the end of that time it was found, as he hoped it might be, that more boat accommodation was necessary, or at an earlier period, should the traffic grow faster than he anticipated, a fifth boat (not necessarily limited to a length of 165 feet) could be ordered. This appeared to him a more business-like transaction and more in the interests of the shareholders than the investment of an additional capital of £12,000 in the purchase of two larger boats, which for some years to come, at all events, would certainly be in excess of traffic requirements, and which, should they be found to be unsuitable for the loch (a point as to which it was impossible not to feel that some doubt existed), could only be disposed of at a great sacrifice. With regard to the large excursion parties, while he agreed that it was desirable not to break them up, but to accommodate them in one boat, he would point out that the only occasions on which the larger boats would put the companies in a better position for the attainment of that object would be when the numbers of the excursionists were between 850 and 1120; but these occasions could not be very numerous, and he did not regard their possible occurrence as furnishing sufficient reason for the acquisition of larger boats, especially in view of Mr Conacher’s statement that 750 was about the maximum number of excursionists that could be conveniently taken in one special train. He might add that he was not to be held as committed to the opinion that a boat 190 feet in length was not suitable for service on Loch Lomond. Captain Gillies’s evidence certainly raised doubts as to the suitability of such a boat for the loch from the point of view of safe and convenient navigation; but, had he found it necessary to determine the point, he would have thought it his duty before doing so to obtain the opinions of the captains presently sailing upon the loch. He need hardly say that, if desired, he would be glad to assist the parties in adjusting the specifications, which he hoped would be taken in hand without delay. It would be well to have the contract made by the beginning of March.”—Glasgow Herald, January 27, 1898

Contracts for the new steamers were placed in March with Messrs A. & J. Inglis, Pointhouse, and on October 11th, 1898, the first of the steamers, Princess May, was launched. On the 17th, her sister vessel was named Prince George by Miss Thompson, of Devonshire Gardens, as she entered the Kelvin. The new steamers had large well-lighted saloons, extending the full width of the vessels, providing ample accommodation and shelter during wet weather. The dining saloons were on the main-deck forward.

Fitting out was carried out quickly, and on Saturday, November 5th, an attempt was made by Captain MacFarlane to take Princess May up the Leven. She got as far as Dalquhurn Point with the tide, but beyond that, the river current was so strong that the bow of the steamer kept swinging around. On Monday the 7th, she got as far as Millburn, and on Tuesday, with the aid of a number of horses, she made it to the old pier in the Leven north of Balloch Bridge where her fitting out could be completed. Prince George came up the river on Friday, December 2nd, and reached Cordale Point. There was much less water in the river, and the shallower part of the river around Dillichip provided some difficulties and on the second day, she had only reached Kirkland. On the following Monday, she moored south of Balloch Bridge and replaced Princess May at the old pier to complete her fitting out the following day.

Princess May at Inversnaid (Stengel)

Prince George at Balloch (Wrench)

In the meantime, Prince Consort was advertised for sale.

“Loch Lomond Saloon Paddle Steamer Prince Consort, iron, 151 by 18.3 by 6 feet. Engines 2 diagonal jet condensing; cylinders 32 by 3.3 inches stroke. Built 1862. The vessel can be seen at Balloch Pier on application being made to Wm. J. Fraser, 21 hope-street, Glasgow, by whom offers will be received.”—Liverpool Journal of Commerce, November 29, 1898

She was sold for £220 to Mr J.J. King of Garston, and broken up the following year. There was some discussion of repairing the Prince of Wales, but the costs were prohibitive, and she too was sold, in 1899 for £335 10s to Jebb Bros., Glasgow. She ended her days as a coal hulk at Newry.

The new steamers ran trials on a measured mile off Inchmurrin. Both steamers met their requirement of 14½ knots, and were ready for the 1899 season.

Prince George leaving Luss

Princess May at Inversnaid

Prince George at Balloch in 1903

Ptince George at Ardlui

Princess May leaving Tarbet

Princess May at Ardlui

Prince George meeting Princess May north of Inversnaid

Balloch Pier had been extended around 1890 by the North British but further capacity was required. There were two platforms for passenger trains and these were extended. However, there remained only one berth for steamers.

On board Prince George

Landing at Balloch

On board Empress at Luss

Prince George (Gilchrist)

Empress at Balloch Pier

Princess May at Balloch Pier with a Caledonian train (Gilchrist)

Prince George in Luss Straits

The Queen in Luss Straits (Gilchrist)

Prince George in Luss Straits (Gilchrist)

Empress in Cameron Bay in 1907

Facilities for docking and repair on the Loch at Luss had deteriorated, and in 1900 land was purchased west of Balloch Pier for the construction of a slipway and jetty with an engine house for hauling the steamers out of the water on a cradle. Work began at the end of the year but was halted by an interdict by the Vale of Leven United Water Committee that had a pumping station with intake pipes close to the site where the wooden pilings for the jetty were being driven. The interdict was partially lifted, allowing the slipway and hauling engine to be completed, but it was not until 1909 that the jetty was completed, when an alternative source of water for the Vale of Leven from Glen Finlas was completed in March.

At Balloch, public access to Loch Lomond had long been an issue of importance. The nearest public access sites where bathing could be carried out were at Aber, near Gartocharn, and Duck Bay. Even boarding the steamers from Balloch entailed travelling by train (at an additional fare) to the pier. However, at Balloch there were several boat hirers who could hire-out rowing boats or take parties to the Loch by steam (and latterly motor) launches. While the railway had the monopoly of travel to Balloch, this limited competition with the steamers was tolerated, but when in 1907, the Dumbarton Burgh & County Tramways Ltd. completed their tram-line from Dalmuir to Balloch, the denizens of Glasgow could, with one change of tram, travel from anywhere in the Corporation network to Balloch, and matters changed. The railway, in collusion with local land-owners, presented the boat hirers, Henry Lynn and John Sweeney, with limitations on their business if they continued to use the banks of the Leven for boat hiring. Lynn accepted the conditions but Sweeney was interdicted. The matter became one of public access, not just to the Loch, but also to the Levenside. There was public outcry and demonstrations as the case dragged through the courts. The advent of war diverted public attention and the purchase of the Balloch Castle Estate by Glasgow Corporation provided the public with access when it opened in 1916. A separate article will be published on the public access question in due course.

By 1910, The Queen was showing signs of decay. She was built in 1883 and structurally was nearing her end. She was scrapped in 1911. A replacement was approved and the design was an improved version of the Princess May and Prince George. The contract for the new vessel was awarded to Messrs A. & J. Inglis, Pointhouse, for a steel paddle steamer of length 175 feet, ten feet longer that the earlier steamers, powered by a compound-diagonal engine of 133 h.p. fed by a haystack boiler capable of supplying steam at higher pressure that had been developed at the Inglis yard. She was launched on 20th March, 1911, named Prince Edward, and on Thursday, May 4th, left the Kelvin to be brought up the Leven by Captain MacFarlane. The water in the Leven was low, but considered adequate for the transit. Good progress was made reaching Dalquhurn Point on her own, with the tide, but the length of the vessel made rounding the Point a slow process and once around, she remained there overnight. The current in the Leven is strong and progress was slow, but under her own power, she reached Cordale Point where again, rounding the Point was difficult and she became stuck. On Saturday, with the aid of horses, she made little progress and two of the horses had to be rescued after they were pulled into the Leven. Thereafter, teams of men on both banks hauled her forward to the bend at Dillichip works, where she grounded. Work progressed very little on Sunday and she anchored just south of the Dillichip Bridge. With dropping water levels and the shallows of Bonhill Ford ahead, matters were not looking positive, and on the Monday she progressed just a few hundred yards to Kirkland where she was moored. There she remained. Various schemes were employed to raise the level of the water including the construction of a coffer dam at Dillichip bridge, but the force of the water was in danger of sweeping the bridge away, and the project was abandoned. Canal barges were sent to attach to the steamer as pontoons and raise her in the river. However, there was a risk of damage to the hull, and this too was abandoned.

Prince Edward at Kirkland with barges to reduce her draft (Mollason)

Prince Edward tarped for the summer at Kirkland

Prince Edward near Balloch with Levenbank works in the background in November 1911

Prince Edward remained at Kirkland through the whole of the 1911 season. Services were carried on by Prince George, Princess May, and Empress. On Saturday, November 4th, when the Leven had risen almost a foot after heavy rain, Prince Edward’s sojourn recommenced with the aid of traction engines on both banks to pass Bonhill Ford. With good progress, she remained in the upper reaches of the river until Monday when she arrived at Balloch and was placed on the slip two days later. There was little hull damage from her adventure, and she was ready to begin the 1912 season in June.

Prince George at Balloch in 1911

Princess May at Balloch

Empress in Drumkinnon Bay

Prince George leaving Rowardennan

Prince George at Ardlui

Prince George leaving Inversnaid

Prince George at Tarbet

Prince George leaving Balmaha

Ardlui with Prince George

With the advent of Prince Edward, the principal sailings were taken by Prince Edward and Princess May. Prince George was relegated to reserve steamer and excursions along with Empress. The latter steamer was reboilered in 1914, extending her usefulness.

Prince Edward at Balloch

A pretty composition of Prince Edward Ardlui

Prince Edward at Ardlui

Prince Edward approaching Tarbet

In April 1914, the Joint Line Committee took advantage of the sale of two small steamboats, Shakespeare and Earl Godwin, owned by the failing City Steamboat Co., on the Thames. The Earl Godwin was built in 1905 for London County Council by Messrs Napier & Miller, Ltd., of Yoker and was 130 ft in length by 18½ ft in breadth with a two-cylinder compound diagonal engine supplied by Scotts’ Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. Ltd, of Greenock. She was moved to Loch Lomond and renamed Queen Mary. Shakespeare was built for the same owners by Messrs J. I. Thornycroft, Woolston, and also engine by Messrs Scott. She was named Princess Patricia when she arrived at Loch Lomond. The initial intention was that these two small steamers would be ideal for the winter service on the Loch, but Queen Mary was severely damaged by fire and was laid up. She never did sail commercially on the Loch. As matters progressed, Princess Patricia was used for excursion work and short cruises round the islands and had Empress as her partner. To facilitate these short cruises, a private roadway was opened for the patrons between Balloch Main Steet and Balloch Pier as train connections were not generally available.

Earl Godwin on the Thames

Princess Patricia at Balloch Pier

The First World War saw little change on Loch Lomond, unlike the diminution of service experienced on the Clyde. Sailing on the Loch was viewed as a great relief for the war-weary population, and passenger numbers greatly increased. At the end of hostilities, large numbers of Empire and American combatants passed over the waters to view the Queen of Scottish Lakes.

Prince Edward approaching Inversnaid taken by crew of USS Texas

On Prince Edward approaching Luss, taken by crew of USS Texas

The next change was in 1923 when railway amalgamations led to the formation of the London & North Eastern Railway Company (LNER), to which the former North British was attached, and the London, Midland & Scottish Railway Company (LMSR), to which the Caledonian was allocated. The only noticeable change was a new house-flag, split on a diagonal with LNER in white on a red background over LMS in red on a white background.

Empress approaching Tarbet

Princess May leaving Rowardennan

Prince George approaching Inversnaid with the new house-flag

Prince George off Inversnaid

Prince George approaching Balmaha

Prince George approaching Tarbet

Prince George at Tarbet

Prince George at Tarbet around 1925

Prince George at Luss

Prince Edward leaving Balloch in 1925

On board Prince Edward looking forward

On board Prince Edward looking aft from Inversnaid

 

On board Prince Edward a sheltered spot

On board Prince Edward

On board Prince Edward

On board Prince Edward with Cameron House in the background

Prince Edward at Luss (Gilchrist)

Prince Edward leaving Tarbet (Gilchrist)

Prince Edward north of Inversnaid (Gilchrist)

Prince Edward at Ardlui

Prince Edward approaching Inversnaid

Prince Edward at Tarbet around 1925

Prince Edward out from Balloch

Prince Edward at Luss

Empress at Inversnaid

Prince George approaching Tarbet (Gilchrist)

On board Prince George

Prince George approaching Rowardennan

Prince George at Ardlui

 

Prince George resting at Ardlui

Prince George about to depart at Ardlui

Prince George at Ardlui (Gilchrist)

Prince George at Tarbet (Gilchrist)

Princess May at Drumkinnon Bay in 1926 with Princess Patricia, Empress and Queen Mary in the background (Valentine)

Retrenchment was in the air. In 1925, Empress was laid up, and Queen Mary was eventually sold in 1928 for scrap. The improvements to the roads surrounding the Loch meant that a winter steamer service was not essential and incurred considerable losses. It was discontinued at the end of 1932, and the following year, Empress was sold for scrapping at Balloch.

Balloch Pier with Princess Patricia in the foreground and Prince Edward at the Pier in 1928. The other steamer is likely Princess May

Empress with Queen Mary behind her at Drumkinnon Bay in 1928 (McKim)

Prince George in Drumkinnon Bay (McKim)

Prince George approaching Balmaha (McKim)

Prince George leaving Balmaha (McKim)

Princess May leaving Tarbet (McKim)

Princess May 

Princess May at Balloch

On board Princess May

Prince Edward off Rowardennan in 1931 (Valentine)

Prince Edward at Rowardennan in 1931 (Valentine)

Prince George in 1933

Prince George at Invernaid in 1933 (Valentine)

Prince Edward and at Balloch Pier with Princess May at the jetty in 1934 (Valentine)

Prince Edward off Inversnaid in 1934 (Valentine)

Princess May near Balloch in 1934 (Valentine)

Princess Patricia approaching Balloch in 1934 (Valentine)

In 1936, Prince George was relegated to spare steamer and thereafter Princess May partnered Prince Edward on the main cruises. Princess Patricia continued with the “Round the Islands” cruises for two more years, but at the end of 1838, she was sold for scrap. About this time, the three remaining steamers lost their foremasts due to rot. As the steamers sailed only in daylight, this presented no danger to navigation.

A well loaded Princess May leaving Tarbet

Princess Patricia at the jetty at Balloch with Prince headed for her turn at the Pier

Prince Edward at Inversnaid

Prince Edward heading for Balamaha Pier in 1937 (Valentine) 

Prince Edward at Balmaha in 1937 (Valentine)

 Prince Edward leaving Balmaha in 1937

Princess Patricia at the jetty at Balloch (F.A.Plant)

A rare color photograph of Prince Edward with Ben Lomond in the background

Prince Edward at Luss

Prince Edward at Luss

A mastless Prince Edward at Ardlui

The Second World War saw Loch Lomond services retained. However, Prince George was requisitioned as an accommodation vessel for workers bombed out of Clydebank, and was then scrapped in 1942. When peace returned, the fleet had diminished to Princess May, now 48 years old, and Prince Edward.

Princess May at the slip jetty in 1947 (Valentine)

Prince Edward Balloch Pier in 1947 (Valentine)

Prince Edward at Balloch Pier and Princess May at the Jetty in 1947

Prince Edward frozen-in at Balloch in the hard winter of 1947

Princess May on the slip in winter 1947

Nationalization, on January 1st, 1948, brought new owners, the British Transport Commission, and a new livery, standardized with the vessels on the Clyde. Funnels were painted buff with a black top; hulls and paddle-boxes were painted black.

Princess May and Prince Edward at Balloch

Princess May at the jetty and Prince Edward at Balloch Pier

Princess May at Inversnaid

Princess May at Rowardennan (SYHA)

Princess May leaving Balmaha (W.F. Sommerville)

Princess May leaving Balmaha for Balloch

Princess May leaving Inversnaid

Princess May at Tarbet

Prince Edward at Balloch Pier

Prince Edward in British Railway’s colours

Despite their new colour-scheme, the fleet was aging and in poor repair. In 1950, plans were put in place for a replacement, sufficiently large to meet the needs of both steamers. A contract was placed with Messrs A. & J. Inglis for a paddle steamer 191 feet in length by 28 feet in breadth with a draft of 4 feet 8 inches to be built at Pointhouse and then dismantled and reassembled on the slip at Balloch. The steam-engine, from Messrs Rankin & Blackmore, Greenock, were two-crank compound diagonal, with steam from an oil-fired navy boiler to propel the steamer at 14 knots. The superstructure above the full-length promenade deck, including the funnel, was of aluminium. Assembly took place during 1952 and she was launched with little fanfare, named Maid of the Loch, on May 22nd, 1953. Balloch Pier was rebuilt in stone to accommodate the larger vessel. On trials, over a measure mile between Inverbeg and Luss, she averaged 13.75 knots, more than adequate for the 12 knot service speed expected. She entered public service on Monday, May 25th.

Balloch Bay in 1952 with Maid of the Loch on the slip (Valentine)

Maid of the Loch nearing completion in 1952

Maid of the Loch fitting out at Balloch Pier

The Maid of the Loch looked bright and modern adorned with white hull and superstructure with green boot-topping, a buff funnel and silver ventilators. For the season, Prince Edward appeared in a similar colour scheme but looked small and very old-fashioned in comparison. With the arrival of the Maid in service, Princess May was slipped and dismantled.

Princess May slipped for the last time

Princess May slipped for the last time from the stern

Dismantling Princess May 1953

The two steamers maintained the service in 1953. Smoke from the coal-fired Prince Edward left an unsightly ring atop her funnel and this was blackened with a narrow painted ring, later with a full black top. The season of 1954 was Prince Edward’s last, and in April 1955, she was slipped at Balloch and broken up.

Maid of the Loch in service in 1953

Maid of the Loch at Tarbet in 1953 (A.J.E. Foreman)

Maid of the Loch at Tarbet in 1953 (Judges)

Maid of the Loch at Tarbet in 1953 (Judges)

Passing Inchcalliach in 1953

Near Balloch

Prince Edward in 1953

Prince Edward in 1953 leaving Balloch

Prince Edward off Ptamigan Lodge

Prince Edward off the Luss shore in 1954

Maid of the Loch at Ardlui in 1965 (M Erskine)

Maid of the Loch frozen-in at Balloch in the hard winter of 1963 (W.F. Sommerville)

In 1957, the Loch Lomond service came under the Caledonian Steam Packet Company Ltd., and despite this change, the Maid retained her British Railways lion emblem on her bow. It was removed in 1970. In the 1960s, the pier closure at Ardlui and financial pressures limited the service and there were continual threats discontinue sailings. Despite the closure of Balmaha pier, strong advertising kept the steamer afloat.

Maid of the Loch at Balloch in June 1968

Turning into Inversnaid in the 1970s

A distant view

In 1969, there was a new owner, the Scottish Transport Group, and eventually in 1973, Caledonian-MacBrayne. The following year, the Maid developed boiler problems, requiring expensive repairs over the winter. She reappeared in 1975 with a red, black-topped funnel, a striking and pretty colour scheme. This was short-lived and changed back to buff in 1977.

Maid of the Loch at Balloch in 1975

Maid of the Loch at Balloch in 1979

Tarbet pier was by now unsafe, and in 1977, calls at Rowardennan became problematic for a time, until the pier was repaired. The Maid sailed on until 1982, when she was sold to an Alloa Brewery Company. She was taken over by Dumbarton District Council in 1992 in a derelict condition, and four years later, the Loch Lomond Steamship Company to over with plans for renovation to allow the Maid of the Loch to sail again. With public and private support, these plans are now well advanced. You can support the project here.

Although I grew up in the Vale of Leven, I recall sailing on Maid of the Loch only once, in the late 1950s. Taking a train to Balloch and then on to Balloch Pier was quite a novelty, and the Maid was crowded. I believe it was a works outing, either for the UTR (United Turkey Red Co., Ltd.) or more likely for the BSD (British Silk Dyeing Co., Ltd.) as my father’s work in Glasgow did a lot of work for them. The weather was warm and sunny and I sat on the deck at my parents’ feet. My most vivid memory was one of great concern that the ship was about to run aground as it passed between Clairinch and Inchcailleach and then slid into Balmaha Pier. At Ardlui, everyone disembarked and most headed for the Hotel for a refreshment. I was disappointed that there was so little to do except walk around the shore or up to the station. Still, we were soon back on board for the return to Balloch.

Alan Brown, “Loch Lomond Passenger Steamers,” Allan T. Condie, Nuneaton, 2000.

Robert Cleary, “Maid of the Loch,” Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd., Gourock, 1979.

Alistair Deayton, “Scottish Loch and Canal Steamers,” Tempus, Stroud, 2004.

Stewart Hunter, “Loch Lomond Ladies,” Scottish Field, Glasgow, April, 1960.

G. Ransom, “Steamers of Loch Lomond.” Stenlake, Catrine, 2007