THE restoration of the Maid of the Loch paddle steamer has taken a major step forward after government funding was secured to pave the way for essential repairs.

A grant of £94,108 from Historic Environment Scotland will be used to repair the slipway – and also the carriage on which the historic vessel will sit when it’s winched out of Loch Lomond.

Back in January 2019 the restoration of the ship suffered an unfortunate and high-profile setback when, with the public and the media watching on from Balloch Pier, equipment being used to winch the ship out of the loch and on to the slipway for refurbishment failed, sending the Maid sliding back into the water.

The slipway and carriage will be repaired using parts salvaged from the original carriage, alongside large horizontal spars, forming part of the new structure.

One unit has already been completed with a brand new hitch, much stronger than the one being replaced.

Volunteer crew are also waiting to assemble four more larger sections.

Anne Urquhart, volunteer director at Loch Lomond Steamship Company, told the Reporter: “Two years on from the unfortunate incident with the Maid of the Loch’s old slipway carriage Loch Lomond Steamship Company is close to completing a new much stronger replacement.

“The winch house and slipway is a Category A listed structure and is the only slipway still in steam in Europe so it is truly unique and its preservation is essential.

“To know that Historic Environment Scotland has the confidence in us as a volunteer led charity to complete such a complicated task is both humbling and very reassuring.

“Our heritage engineer, Jim Mitchell, has been our champion in leading the project and we’re extremely grateful for all his efforts to first secure the funds and then to organise the work of a small band of dedicated volunteers to salvage useful material from the old carriage and assemble its replacement.”