The countdown is on to save a Dumbarton-built steamship regarded as one of Scotland's most important maritime heritage treasures.

The SS Sir Walter Scott, built at the world-famous yard of William Denny & Bros on the banks of the Leven 122 years ago, is Scotland's oldest surviving passenger steamer - but has been out of service on Loch Katrine since 2020 after cracks were discovered in the ship's boilers.

Now the charity which owns and operates the ship has set a target of raising £170,000 in the next 100 days to get the ship sailing on Loch Katrine again this summer.

The vessel's custodians, the Steamship Trust, say they've raised £330,000 of the £500,000 needed to complete the ship's restoration - and are now appealing for the public's help in getting them over the line and returning the ship to service on the loch.

James Fraser, trustee and chief executive of the Steamship Trust, said: "Almost every day, we're receiving public donations large and small, often accompanied by messages showing deep affection for Sir Walter Scott Steamship.

"We are therefore much closer to being able to save, restore and bring back into service Scotland’s much-loved and oldest passenger-carrying steamer.

"We are now refocusing the appeal with a mission to raise the outstanding £170,000 in the next 100 days to get Sir Walter Scott Steamship sailing again later this summer. We believe that ambitious target can be met with further public support and would welcome any donations and sponsorships to help fund new decking and other important restoration works.’’

The Trust hopes that if the 100-day fund-raising campaign is a success the ship will return to service on Loch Katring on Sunday, June 26.

Members of the public can support the appeal via the special website www.saveoursteamship.com or by post with cheques made payable to Steamship Sir Walter Scott Trust, Trossachs Pier, by Callander, FK17 8HZ.

There are also donation points at several locations at Loch Katrine for visitors to use and it is hoped businesses, local communities, and individuals will help organise additional fundraising activities to help achieve the final total.

The Sir Walter Scott appeal follows hard on the heels of news of another famous ship built at the Denny yard - the turbine steamer Queen Mary.

Saved from a perilous future in the south of England in 2016, the charity which owns the Queen Mary announced last week that it's to pursue ambitious plans to get the ship, which was launched 89 years ago, sailing on the River Clyde by the summer of 2024 - 47 years since she last took Glaswegians on a cruise 'doon the watter'.

Sir Walter Scott is Loch Katrine's fourth steamer. Built during 1899, she was dismantled after trials and transported in sections by barge up the River Leven and Loch Lomond to Inversnaid.

From there, teams of horses lugged the ship's sections up the steep hills to Stronachlachar, where she was reconstructed and launched into Loch Katrine in 1900.

The original steam plant remains intact, with a pump that draws feedwater from the loch for the boiler.

However, in 2008 the steamship moved from coal power to biodiesel.

With a return to operation this year, introducing a new ground-breaking green hydrogen and vegetable oil fuel to replace biodiesel would reduce CO2 emissions by more than 90 per cent and contribute to the Steamship Trust’s net-zero ambition.

The historic Steamship is a popular symbol of Loch Katrine which, when operational, glides quietly through its pure waters.

In 1859 the loch became a reservoir supply water to much of West and Central Scotland. Through ingenious Victorian engineering, 23.5 miles of aqueducts and tunnels carried clean water for the first time to the city of Glasgow, transforming the health of its vast population.

Still in operation today, up to 120 million gallons per day can be extracted from the loch through this system, with the famous Tennent's Lager brewed with water from the loch.

The restoration appeal will not only save a National Maritime Heritage Treasure but bring benefits to a wide range of people as the Steamship can carry 220 passengers and is accessible for all mobility and sensory needs.

She also plays a crucial role in supporting the wider Trossachs economy, providing and helping to, directly and indirectly, sustain many jobs.

The Sir Walter Scott also offers very attractive opportunities to combine cruises with family friendly walking and cycling adventures in the heart of the Great Trossachs Forest National Nature Reserve and Scotland’s first National Park.