Photos
Loch Leven (Kinross)
The following Loch Leven guide is based on my own experience and therefore description given in the guide necessarily contains an element of subjective opinion which may not reflect your own experience on another occasion.
Loch Leven in short - Key Attractions
- Charming castle on the island
- Boat ride to the island
- Walk along the loch
- Wildlife and variety of bird species
Directions
Car: From Edinburgh go towards the Forth Road Bridge, pass the bridge and follow M90 towards Perth until the Kinross exit. On the loch side you may leave your car at the Kirkgate Park or Burleigh Sands car park. Post code for your SatNav is KY138UF.
Bus: If you come from Edinburgh, the most convenient and cheapest option is Megabus service to Kinross (45 min journey). If you book the ticket in advance through their web site, you may get tickets for as little as £1.00 per person each way. The bus actually does not stop in Kinross town centre, so you need to be prepared for a 15 min stroll to the town centre and the loch shore.
About Loch Leven and the Castle
Loch Leven has two larger islands: Castle Island and St Serf’s Island, and four smaller islands: Scart Island, Alice’s Bower, Roy’s Folly and Reed Bower. Originally the Castle Island was a lot smaller than it is now and the castle occupied the whole of it. In 19th century the water level in the lake was lowered and the island increased the size. On the island you will find 14th century small, charming castle in which in 1567 Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned and forced to abdicate before her dramatic escape a year later.
To the island you can get by a frequent daily boat service operated by Historic of Scotland (boat departs approximately every 20 minutes). In order get to the island and visit the castle you will have to pay the admission fee of circa £5 per person. The boat service is usually in operation from April to October (for the exact beginning and the end of the season please refer to Historic of Scotland web site.
Walk
One of the main of Loch Leven attractions is a walk along its shore. During the stroll you may spot lots of wild animals: deer, ducks, pink-footed geese and birds. If the weather is good stroll along the loch is really pleasant. If you begin your walk from Kirkgate Park, you can walk for 8 miles (from Kinross to Vane Farm) through the National Nature Reserve along the loch shore. During the walk along well signposted path you can rest in small lake side bird watcher’s chalets - great opportunity for spotting some interesting bird species.
Wild Life
Loch Leven has the highest wildlife accolade as part of the Natura 2000 network – a series of internationally important wildlife sites throughout Europe. The loch supports the largest population of breeding ducks in Britain and up to 20,000 pink-footed geese in winter. If you are a fan of wildlife, you will definitely enjoy a meeting with roe deer, geese, red kites and various species of ducks. The only downside is that the area has an incredible number of midges.
Published on 29th June 2010
By Arek Zasowski
Photographs by Viola and Arek Zasowski
Useful Information
If you like history and castles just for a couple of pounds a month you can become a member of Historic of Scotland and visit unlimited number of times this and other Scottish castles.
For more information about the Loch Leven you may visit the Loch Leven National Nature Reserve web site.
