THE historic Maid of the Loch paddle steamer will be hauled out of the waters of Loch Lomond for the first time in almost 40 years next week.

The 191-foot ship, which weighs 555 tons, will be pulled out of the water by the original winch-house, and on to the Balloch Steam Slipway, on Thursday, January 10 at 12 noon – and members of the public are being invited to come along and see it all happen.

The 'slipping' operation will pave the way for a full ultrasound survey of the ship's hull, in order to provide a comprehensive report on its condition, ahead of a £1 million refurbishment.

A spokeswoman for the Maid campaign said: "We would love for the locals to know so they can come along and watch."

The area around the slipway itself will be restricted to authorised personnel, but there will be plenty of places nearby, such as the Loch Lomond Shores complex, from where onlookers can capture pictures and footage of the slipping operation.

It's expected that the slipping will last for around four hours.

The campaign to restore the Maid and return her to a fully operational steamship was last month boosted after the £950,000 capital grant awarded by the Scottish Government was confirmed along with £50,000 from the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society, taking the work package to £1 million.

December's funding announcement followed a major blow in October when the Heritage Lottery Fund turned down a bid from the Maid campaign team for £3.6 million to help return the ship to steam for the first time since 1981.