The Steamship Sir Walter Scott has been sailing on Loch Katrine since 1900. She was built in sections in Dumbarton on the River Clyde that were then floated on barges up the River Leven and through Loch Lomond to Inversnaid. There they were offloaded and dragged up a steep hill to Loch Katrine by teams of horses. The ship was then assembled on the shores of Loch Katrine at Stronachlachan and launched into the water where she has remained for over a century.

Her original triple expansion steam engine was fired by coal. In 2007 the engine was converted to biofuel to protect the natural environment of the loch.

Loch Katrine’s name comes from the Gaelic ‘cateran’, meaning cattle thief or robber. Situated at the heart of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, it’s a popular destination for a day out for locals and visitors alike. Stretching for eight miles along Strath Gartney, it is surrounded by wooded hills and dotted with small islands.

The level of the loch was raised by 6 feet / 2 meters in 1859 during the construction of a scheme to supply Glasgow with drinking water. 25 aqueducts and 13 miles (21 km) of tunnels link the loch to a water treatment works on the northern outskirts of Glasgow. The scheme was opened by Queen Victoria and the cottage and jetty were built at the queen’s request and for her exclusive use. During the opening ceremony a 21-gun welcome salute to welcome the monarch shattered all the windows and the plan was quickly scrapped!

The area is idea for cycling, walking in the hills or more gently at lower levels. Bikes and e-bikes can be hired at the Trossachs Pier where there is a cafe, gift shop and clamping pods.