A charitable trust hopes that this Sunday’s 250th anniversary of the birth of Sir Walter Scott will draw further attention to their appeal to restore their historic Steamship named after the famous Scot’s novelist and poet.
The SOS appeal to ‘Save our Steamship’ seeks to raise £500,000 to restore the 121-year-old steamer, which requires new boilers, decking and other major restoration works before she deteriorates further. The aim is to have her back in back in full service by next summer if the fundraising efforts go well.
Scott’s ‘Lady of the Lake’ poem, published in 1810, put Loch Katrine and the Trossachs on the map, becoming the ‘Birthplace of Scottish Tourism’. Launched in 1900, she is a much-loved heritage attraction in the heart of the Trossachs and hundreds of thousands of people have sailed on her during her impressive 121 years of service.
Gordon Allan, Boat Master of Sir Walter Scott Steamship, said: ‘Sir Walter Scott made an important contribution to Scotland, and this special 250th anniversary will be much celebrated across the nation and beyond. We especially feel the strong presence of Scott here at Loch Katrine, and it is no exaggeration that our whole cruise and leisure operation is only here because of his outstanding literary work which led to the popularisation of the area in the 1800s.
The Sir Walter Scott Steamship has brought pleasure to many generations and can continue to do so in the future once she is fully restored. We hope that this special anniversary will help promote our SOS appeal and bring it to the attention of many of the people who may wish to donate. This national treasure must be restored to ensure that this fantastic tribute to Sir Walter Scott is not lost.’
Financial support is urgently needed to help save this important national maritime heritage asset which brings so much pleasure to so many people and can be made on-site at Loch Katrine, via the SOS appeal website www.saveoursteamship.com or by sending cheques to SOS Appeal, Trossachs Pier, Loch Katrine, Callander, FK17 8HZ.
