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Just spotted Waverley steaming into Southampton sorry only have my i phone with me so you’ll probably need to expand the photos on your device to see her 
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Lots on the BBC News website about Waverley - probably the two most general ones below:
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Cheers both.
Now I wish the Maid of the Loch could be made operational again a bit sooner. Many a trip I had on her. Ice cream on one hand, Barrs Irn Bru on the other.
Last paddler to ever be built in Britain. 1953. I’d be 1 years of age!
I’ll visit her on Monday. Got our monthly pension day pay Hot Date with the Missus at Duck Bay 
Marina
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I remember seeing the Maid of the Loch when we had a stay at the Balloch House Pub/Hotel. That would be early 2000s. Nice place to stay.
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I wrote to 3 of Scotland’s non Red Top news papers a week past with the Big Story of her rounding Cape Wrath & down the North Sea etc etc. in the hope she might get a Welcome Home pipe band & maybe an STV / BBC short film of her docking pre bad time for the usual winter TLC. One replied with a ““ we will look into it” which is better than the other two. Some attitudes eh? Or maybe I’m just too invested in her.
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Stay invested and keep passing your passion and memories on. I’ve never even seen Waverley but through you and your stories I’ve grown to love her. Followed her long journey down south on the tracker and watched videos and online stories.
Print media is dying out now that people get their stories and share their interests online. Who wants to read what happened yesterday on paper when everything has already been shared by those that were there online. Even watching TV news a lot of coverage is from smartphone footage from members of the public. My father was a press photographer with the local papers in Lincoln for many years. A weekly paper and a daily one in Lincoln at the time. He worked at both. Back in the day there would have been five full time photographers based in Lincoln plus a couple of independents that they used. There might be one now but not even sure about that.
Personally I’d rather hear stories from people who are passionate about the subject than a soulless report from a journalist with no real interest.
Keep the memories alive.
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She’s on here way home at last. It’s been a real tough tour with one thing or another but it’s done. Broke a paddle mechanism but that was fixed pronto. Time to lie back and get spoiled what with refreshed decks, finger tip cleansing and complete mechanical over haul…probably fresh hull paint here and there. Routine stuff. Then she will get her whatever it is Maritime Licence ( summat) issued.
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If she could sing………
Come on home lass”. 
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She must have gone like the clappers!
Wee sausage…well done. Now have a wee kip.
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Judging by the wake, Waverley is leaving the pier! 
The steamers were why so many piers were built all round the country.
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I hadn’t zoomed in to check direction
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WAVERLEY 2025 - FINISHED WITH ENGINES
Waverley’s 2025 season came to a close on Sunday evening (19th October) after the final passengers disembarked.
In total 161,950 passenger journeys were recorded over 123 operating days – the largest total number of passengers recorded since 1996!
We would like to express a sincere “Thank You” to everyone that sailed and supported Waverley this season.
Like many seasons there were a few operational challenges to contend with – notably the weather in the second half of the 2025 season caused some cruises to be cancelled or amended.
However, it was due to the weather that Waverley found herself paddling all the way round Great Britain in 2025 much to the surprise of many. Although her extended journey from Ayr to Dartmouth back in late August came with increased cost it did bring the benefit of much media attention and publicity to many individuals who were unaware of Waverley or who hadn’t realised she is in fact still operating.
This season saw the ship celebrate her 50th anniversary since her very first cruise in preservation back in 1975. It is truly remarkable that this anniversary was reached and even more so we are now looking forward to the 80th anniversary since the ship’s launch next October.
During the 2025 season Waverley called at 69 ports or piers which included three that were visited for the very first time - Carbost, Salen and Rochester. A far cry from what she was built to do all those years ago.
Since Waverley tied up for winter just two days ago the crew have been busy de-storing the ship and clearing her for winter layup. In the coming months maintenance and survey work will take priority before she moves to Dales Marine shipyard in Greenock sometime in February.
A major capital renewal project will take place this winter as we look forward to ensuring she can continue to operate such extensive summer seasons well into the future. This winter we will be removing the current sprinkler system which was installed during Phase 1 of the Heritage Rebuild back in 2000. A new system will then be installed, the cost of this project alone will be over £400,000, with the full winter cost expected to easily exceed £1.3 million.
2026 ADVANCED INFORMATION👇
Looking to 2026 and we can now announce some dates. The 2026 sailing programme is being prepared with the planned first sailing of the season on the Clyde on Friday 8th May.
Waverley will then sail north on Tuesday 12th May and operate until Tuesday 19th from Oban and around the Inner Hebrides. Dates of Waverley’s overnight berths in this period are as follows:
Tuesday 12th May – Oban
Wednesday 13th & Thursday 14th May – Kyle of Lochalsh
Friday 15th May – Waverley will be at sea sailing overnight from Kyle to Oban, a coach will be provided from Kyle of Lochalsh to Oban
Saturday 16th May – Oban
Sunday 17th May – at anchor off Fort William – a coach will operate from Fort William in the evening to Oban
Monday 18th May – Oban
Tuesday 19th May – Waverley will be at sea overnight after completing her cruise in the evening at Oban.
Extensive timetable planning will begin next month with the intention to announce outline dates for each sailing area by Christmas. We will work to release the timetables area-by-area from February and then open bookings as timetables are published.
SUPPORT WAVERLEY - BECOME A FRIEND OF WAVERLEY👇
If you are able to help support Waverley’s winter refit by making a small regular monthly donation please consider becoming a Friend of Waverley. Monthly donations start from just £5.20 and help ensure we can continue to invest in Waverley to keep her sailing for many more years to come. Visit Friends of Waverley – Waverley Excursions to find out more and sign up today.
All Friends of Waverley will receive the bi-annual newsletter and annual thank you gift at Christmas.
We also welcome one-off donations and these can be made online at Donate to Waverley – Waverley Excursions or by calling 0141 243 2224 (Mon-Fri 0930-1630).
Keep a look out for further posts in the coming months to show winter refit work underway.
FINISHED WITH ENGINES
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Health permitting, given I got 5 days of radiotherapy two weeks back, I may do the Oban paddle with my bestie from Kippen, who’d pick me up. Depends how skeleton is. I feel fine , zero pains or discomfort but I’ll get results next week. They found a tumour in pelvis which is common. The last time I was “handled” so much by so many comely nurses with my bits on display was a NY party in 1971 somewhere in Glasgow….but that is another story. 
Long before I met SWMBO may I add…..
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Lived a life, sense of humour intact, feeling fine. Can’t ask for much more than that. 
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Little bit of work here and there.
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Keel being laid
27th December 1945. The Admiralty did not waste much time replacing Waverely 1st which perished at Dunkirk evacuation. She never stood a chance against the 12 German Heinkel aircraft (which she fought off for as long as possible) one of whom let loose a shell right through her and made a huge opening in the lower hull, sinking her in a few minutes with the loss of about 400 souls. Such is war.
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That’s some MOT prep!
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1281937940643548&set=pcb.1281942193976456
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Waverley spotted on George Clark’s Building Home series 1 episode 2 Dunoon.
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