THE Maid of the Loch is all set to welcome visitors to its first open weekend of 2021.

The renowned ship will celebrate its move to its newly rebuilt stream slipway carriage where she will remain for some time while essential repairs are carried out.

Go Swim Loch Lomond will host their second wild swimming event in partnership with the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park event on this Saturday, a perfect opportunity to celebrate everything the area has to offer. 

Wild Highlands Coffee will be providing a special pop-up café for visitor refreshments throughout the event. 

Maid of the Loch will be open to the public every weekend from Saturday, August 28 until the end of October. 11-4pm, with volunteer engineers demonstrating the steam slipway in operation.

Ship on the Slip also plan to offer specially guided hard hat tours aboard the paddle steamer throughout the season.

Iain Robertson, chairman of the Loch Lomond Steamship Company, said: “The ‘Ship on the Slip’ is the culmination of the remarkable efforts of our volunteers who rebuilt the ‘carriage’ and is only the second time the ‘Maid’ has been slipped in 40 years.

“The significance of the slipping cannot be underestimated. It represents a huge step towards ensuring the future of Loch Lomond’s last paddle steamer.

"We hope the public come to visit this spectacular sight and support the funding of the hull repairs.”