SS Sir Walter Scott
Encyclopedia
SS Sir Walter Scott is a small steamship that has provided pleasure cruises and a ferry service on Loch Katrine
in the scenic Trossachs
of Scotland
for more than a century, and is the only surviving screw steamer in regular passenger service in Scotland. She 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.
In 1859 Loch Katrine became Glasgow
's main water supply, connected by aqueduct
s and tunnels to the city more than 30 miles (48.3 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.
William Denny and Brothers
built Sir Walter Scott as a "knock-down" ship; that is, she was assembled with bolts and nuts at Denny's shipyard at Dumbarton on the River Leven
, the pieces numbered and dismantled again, transported in pieces by barge up Loch Lomond
and overland by horse-drawn cart to Stronachlachar pier on Loch Katrine and there rebuilt with rivets and launched. Denny's assembled Sir Walter Scott at their yard in 1899 and completed her reassembly and launch on the loch in 1900.
All ships in the UK must record a measured mile for sea-worthiness. Sir Walter Scott completed her measured mile on the Firth of Clyde
when bolted together, before being disassembled, transported to Loch Katrine and riveted together again.
Her original cost was £4,269, which included a delivery charge of £2,028.
Sir Walter Scott weighs 115 tons, is 110 feet (33.5 m) long and has a 19 feet (5.8 m) beam. She is powered by her original three-cylinder triple expansion steam engine and has two locomotive-type boilers which until the end of 2007 were fired by solid fuel fed into the firebox by a stoker. At a time when most steamers changed to oil-fired boilers, the Sir Walter Scott kept using solid fuel to meet the requirement of ensuring that Glasgow's water supply is not polluted, changing from coal to coke to reduce air pollution. In a refit at the end of the 2007 season the boilers were altered to run on biofuel
. During this refit, the superstructure was rebuilt and a forward deck cabin was added. The vessel has a crew of five.
Sir Walter Scott sails from Trossachs pier at the east end of the loch, 7 miles (11.3 km) north of Aberfoyle
) and runs a ferry service 8 miles (12.9 km) west along the loch to Stronachlachar pier, in the morning and afternoon in spring and summer, taking walkers and cyclists who return by land, then takes those embarking at the pier and those doing the round trip back to Trosachs pier. In the afternoon she also does one or more shorter scenic cruises. In the winter she is taken up on a slipway for maintenance work.
Loch Katrine
Loch Katrine is a freshwater loch in the district of Stirling, Scotland. It is roughly 8 miles long by 2/3 of a mile wide and runs the length of Strath Gartney...
in the scenic Trossachs
Trossachs
The Trossachs itself is a small woodland glen in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It lies between Ben A'an to the north and Ben Venue to the south, with Loch Katrine to the west and Loch Achray to the east. However, the name is used generally to refer to the wider area of wooded glens and...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
for more than a century, and is the only surviving screw steamer in regular passenger service in Scotland. She is named after the writer Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
, who set his 1810 poem Lady of the Lake
Lady of the Lake
The Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father...
, and his novel Rob Roy
Rob Roy (novel)
Rob Roy is a historical novel by Walter Scott. It is narrated by Frank Osbaldistone, the son of an English merchant who travels first to the North of England, and subsequently to the Scottish Highlands to collect a debt stolen from his father. On the way he encounters the larger-than-life title...
of 1818 around Loch Katrine.
In 1859 Loch Katrine became Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
's main water supply, connected by aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
s and tunnels to the city more than 30 miles (48.3 km) away through a hilly landscape. The Trossachs became very popular in the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
, 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
Robert Roy MacGregor
Robert Roy MacGregor , usually known simply as Rob Roy or alternately Red MacGregor, was a famous Scottish folk hero and outlaw of the early 18th century, who is sometimes known as the Scottish Robin Hood. Rob Roy is anglicised from the Scottish Gaelic Raibeart Ruadh, or Red Robert...
. Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
had a holiday house built overlooking the loch.
William Denny and Brothers
William Denny and Brothers
William Denny and Brothers Limited, and often referred to simply as Denny, were a Scottish shipbuilding company.-History:The Company was founded by Peter Denny in 1840 and based in Dumbarton, on the River Clyde. Although the Denny yard was situated near the junction of the River Clyde and the River...
built Sir Walter Scott as a "knock-down" ship; that is, she was assembled with bolts and nuts at Denny's shipyard at Dumbarton on the River Leven
River Leven, Dunbartonshire
The River Leven is a stretch of water in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, flowing from Loch Lomond in the North to the River Clyde in the South...
, the pieces numbered and dismantled again, transported in pieces by barge up Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...
and overland by horse-drawn cart to Stronachlachar pier on Loch Katrine and there rebuilt with rivets and launched. Denny's assembled Sir Walter Scott at their yard in 1899 and completed her reassembly and launch on the loch in 1900.
All ships in the UK must record a measured mile for sea-worthiness. Sir Walter Scott completed her measured mile on the Firth of Clyde
Firth of Clyde
The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. The Kilbrannan Sound is a large arm of the Firth of Clyde, separating the Kintyre Peninsula from the Isle of Arran.At...
when bolted together, before being disassembled, transported to Loch Katrine and riveted together again.
Her original cost was £4,269, which included a delivery charge of £2,028.
Sir Walter Scott weighs 115 tons, is 110 feet (33.5 m) long and has a 19 feet (5.8 m) beam. She is powered by her original three-cylinder triple expansion steam engine and has two locomotive-type boilers which until the end of 2007 were fired by solid fuel fed into the firebox by a stoker. At a time when most steamers changed to oil-fired boilers, the Sir Walter Scott kept using solid fuel to meet the requirement of ensuring that Glasgow's water supply is not polluted, changing from coal to coke to reduce air pollution. In a refit at the end of the 2007 season the boilers were altered to run on biofuel
Biofuel
Biofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation. Biofuels include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases...
. During this refit, the superstructure was rebuilt and a forward deck cabin was added. The vessel has a crew of five.
Sir Walter Scott sails from Trossachs pier at the east end of the loch, 7 miles (11.3 km) north of Aberfoyle
Aberfoyle
Aberfoyle is a village in the region of Stirling, Scotland, northwest of Glasgow.The town is situated on the River Forth at the base of Craigmore...
) and runs a ferry service 8 miles (12.9 km) west along the loch to Stronachlachar pier, in the morning and afternoon in spring and summer, taking walkers and cyclists who return by land, then takes those embarking at the pier and those doing the round trip back to Trosachs pier. In the afternoon she also does one or more shorter scenic cruises. In the winter she is taken up on a slipway for maintenance work.
External links
- The Loch Katrine Experience: Steamship Sir Walter Scott (includes sailing times and fares)