Brimming with wildlife and history, Loch Leven is the bright heart of the old county of Kinross. It’s the largest water of its kind in lowland Britain and has been a National Nature Reserve (NNR) since 1964. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) manages the reserve, which was recently extended to include the Vane Farm section run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

The loch is home to more breeding ducks than anywhere else in inland Europe. And from late summer until spring, tens of thousands of other wildfowl from many different countries also use it for short and long-term stopovers. Their presence gives Loch Leven year round interest and a global importance.

However, it’s not just the birds that make this such a special place. It also boasts world-famous Loch Leven trout, a great range of plants, a sprinkling of rare beetles and some excellent viewing opportunities. Come and explore for yourself this winning combination for wildlife and people.

Getting the measure of it

Loch Leven fills over 13 square kilometres of low ground between the Ochil, Lomond and Cleish Hills. That’s enough to take in the whole of the city of Perth and still have room to spare.

The average depth of just under four metres is ideal for dabbling ducks, ducklings and up-ending swans to grab some of the small creatures and plants that thrive in the food-rich water.

Shallower areas and stretches of shore overhung with vegetation are perfect for broods to feed and shelter, while the islands provide many nest sites.

Two deeper parts are good for diving ducks. Each of these ‘kettle-holes’ came about during the last Ice Age, more than 10,000 years ago. They formed when a large chunk of ice melted and left deep dips in the loch bed.

Serfing the community

St Serf’s is the largest of the loch’s seven islands and is the front runner in the inland European duck nest league. Tufted duck top the bill here, with anything from 400 to 600 pairs each year. Several hundred pairs of mallard join them.

Then there are 80 pairs of gadwall, a good scattering of burrow-nesting shelduck and a handful of rare breeders such as pochard and shoveler.

Tall grass tussocks give cover for nests, while a colony of several thousand black-headed gulls provides on-site security. They help to ward off potential egg thieves or duckling hunters, such as jackdaws and rats.

Globe-trotting trout

Loch Leven’s fish have long been famous. The native brown trout that live here – dark coloured, pink fleshed and tasty – are so highly prized that anglers have introduced Loch Leven trout to many different countries. You’ll find them now from Canada to New Zealand and many places in between.

Trans-global splashdowns

Loch Leven is an international hub for birds. That’s a major reason for it being awarded National Nature Reserve status, plus many other honours. It’s a place that merits both praise and protection.

Winter sees some of the loch’s breeding wildfowl heading for other parts, including tufted ducks to Northern Ireland, mallard to Eire, Holland and Sweden, and gadwall to Spain. Ducks, geese and swans that come here outside the breeding season flock in from a much wider area.

Numbers of migratory wildfowl build up in September and peak in October. Nearly one in ten of the entire world population of pink-footed geese (up to 20,000) is part of the loch’s autumn throng. The pinkfeet hail from Iceland, as do the many whooper swans, while hundreds of shoveler come from as far away as Siberia.

Natural partners

North Queich, South Queich, Gairney Water and Pow Burn are the main arteries that bring freshwater to Loch Leven from a large part of Kinross county. What goes on in this ‘catchment’ of the loch is vitally important to the water and wildlife here.

The different water users upstream, downstream and on the loch itself co-operate and plan together to agree ways of working. This has been a crucial part of keeping Loch Leven healthy in recent years.

On the NNR, SNH works with Kinross Estate (owners of the loch), the RSPB (who own and manage the Vane Farm part of the NNR), Historic Scotland (custodians of Castle Island) and the River Leven Trustees (who control the outflow rate from loch to river). Other bodies, including the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, work with SNH to keep an eye on water quality and other aspects of life on the loch.

Going up, going down

The most massive and long-lasting change of shape in Loch Leven’s history took place between 1830 and 1832. That was when the bed of the River Leven – the loch’s only outflow – was lowered, the river course re-aligned and sluice gates installed.

First effects were dramatic: the area of loch and surrounding wetland shrank to three-quarters of its former spread. The shoreline also moved inward by 500 metres and falling water levels revealed three new islands.

For wildlife, this meant that salmon and sea trout could no longer run upriver from the Forth to reach the loch. Arctic char and eels died out. For people, the drainage work brought a constant supply of water to mills downriver, less seasonal flooding and an increase in farmland. Some of these benefits for people still apply today. But there have also been successes in restoring some wetness around the NNR’s loch edge.

This has given a local boost to many species, including orchids, dragonflies, waders (like lapwing, snipe, curlew and redshank), and wintering geese and swans. Since 1991, breeding wader numbers at Vane Farm have soared from one pair to over sixty pairs.

Calm and storm

Over many thousands of years, people have had a wide range of responses to Loch Leven. But it’s possible that some common themes link across great sweeps of time.

The earliest visitors, perhaps more than 7000 years ago, would have valued the wealth of wildfowl and fish here, as people still do. The Celtic monks or ‘Culdees’, who lived on St Serf’s Island for several hundred years from the 7th century onwards, would have drawn inspiration from their surroundings.

In the 14th century both William Wallace (who launched a commando-style raid on the castle) and Robert the Bruce (who visited in peace but may later have used the castle as a kind of state prison) had a more forceful approach. From then until folk abandoned the tower house in the late 1600s (when Sir William Bruce built Kinross House) a range of high-profile inmates would have cursed their misfortune at doing time here.

Most famous of all was the ill-starred Mary Queen of Scots, held captive between June 1567 and May 1568. Today, the drama of Mary’s stay and escape and the tension of others’ imprisonment at Loch Leven stand in contrast to the stillness we now link with this place.

Soaking it in

There are several locations where you can quietly enjoy this haven for natural and historic heritage. These include – Kirkgate Park immediately south-east of Kinross; the shore near Findatie near the mouth of the River Leven; Burleigh Sands on the loch’s north shore (close to the A911); and the RSPB’s Vane Farm Nature Reserve beside the B9097. The latter has woodland trails, wetland hides and a visitor centre with coffee shop, from which there are good views of the loch. In addition, Historic Scotland runs a summer boat service to Castle Island from the pier at Kinross harbour.

Getting to Loch Leven

Loch Leven lies close to the M90 and can be accessed via the Kinross turn-off at junction 6. Bus services to Kinross run from Perth, Stirling and Edinburgh.