SIR WALTER SCOTT
The SS Sir Walter Scott is a small white painted steamship that has provided cruises and a ferry service on Loch Katrine in the scenic Trossachs of Scotland for over a century, and is the only surviving screw steamer in regular passenger service in Scotland.
Watch the short movie of the Sir Walter Scott
In 1859 Loch Katrine became Glasgow's main water supply, connected by aqueducts and tunnels to the city more than 30 miles (50 km) away through a hilly landscape. The Trossachs became very popular in the Victorian era, and there were early steamship services on the loch. The Loch is surrounded by wooded mountains, and has romantic historical connections including the birthplace of the outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor. Queen Victoria had a holiday house built overlooking the loch.
The Sir Walter Scott is named after the writer Walter Scott, who set his 1810 poem Lady of the Lake, and his novel Rob Roy of 1818 around Loch Katrine. She has sailed on the loch since 1900. The steamer was built by Denny Bros Ltd, fabricated at Dumbarton on the River Clyde, transported in pieces by barge up Loch Lomond and overland by horse-drawn cart to Stronachlachar pier on Loch Katrine where she was rebuilt and launched. The original cost was £4269, which included a delivery charge of £2028.
