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  • Loch of Kinnordy

Loch of Kinnordy

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Address
RSPB Loch of Kinnordy, B951, Kirriemuir DD8 5HT
Grid ref
NO361539
What3Words
soggy.selection.reverses

This shallow loch is situated in a natural basin surrounded by farmland and attracts all types of wildlife. One favourite summer visitor is the osprey, but you're just as likely to see otters, red squirrels and deer as wildfowl, not to mention butterflies and dragonflies aplenty.

Plan your visit

Opening times

The car park, trails and hides are open at all times. 

Entrance charges

Free entrance to RSPB members
Yes
Adults
Free, but donations are very welcome
Children
Free, but donations are very welcome

Facilities

  • Car park
  • Pushchair friendly
  • Guided walks
  • Viewing point
  • Nature trails

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

Nearest rail station is Dundee (19 miles (30 km) from reserve). From Dundee, take the A90 north towards Aberdeen. At Kirriemuir junction branch left (signposted Kirriemuir, Forfar), head along Forfar Road (A926) to Kirriemuir.

By bus

Kirriemuir town centre. The reserve can be reached on foot either along the B951 or along the footpath from the top of Kirriemuir Den.

By bike

Nearest Sustrans routes are National Route 1 Edinburgh to Aberdeen (nearest point is Carnoustie 28 miles (45 km) from reserve), and Route 77 Dundee to Pitlochry (nearest point is Dunkeld, 27 miles (43 km) from reserve).

By road

The reserve is located 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Kirriemuir on the B951 to Glenisla road. Follow the tourist signs to The Glens, Alyth and Blairgowrie until you reach the Glenisla road. The reserve is on the right, a mile along the Glenisla road.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Other ways to get there

There is a footpath from Kirriemuir to the reserve which starts at the top of Kirriemuir Den, on the junction of Slade and Cortachy Roads. The reserve is signposted from the start of the path.

Get directions from Google Maps
View on What3Words
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Contact Loch of Kinnordy

  • RSPB Loch of Kinnordy, B951, Kirriemuir DD8 5HT
  • loch.kinnordy@rspb.org.uk
  • 01577 862355
  • Find us on facebook

What will you see?

Our star species

    Gadwall male

    Gadwall

    This subtly plumaged dabbling duck occurs here on open water and breeds in the vegetation.

    Great spotted woodpecker male

    Great spotted woodpecker

    Great spotted woodpeckers can be seen visiting the feeding station, where their preferred food is peanuts.

    Adult Osprey, perched

    Osprey

    Ospreys arrive in spring from their African wintering grounds.

    Water rail

    Water rail

    They may venture out onto exposed mud when the water drops in late summer and autumn or onto ice in winter.

    Whooper swan

    Whooper swan

    Whooper swans arrive here in late autumn from Iceland where they spend the summer.

Recent sightings

Whooper swan Cygnus cygnus, pair swimming, Martin Mere Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust

Find out about recent wildlife sightings at Loch of Kinnordy.

Read more

Seasonal highlights

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter

Ospreys return from Africa in late March and can be seen fishing around the loch. Spring is the time to watch breeding waders, such as lapwings, snipe and curlews carrying out their aerobatic displays over the marsh.

Breeding wildlife, such as shovelers, gadwalls and mute swans begin to emerge from loch vegetation with their young. Sedge warblers and reed buntings sing from the tops of reeds. The reserve is at its scenic best as loch vegetation begins to bloom, providing colourful floral displays from plants such as the regionally important nodding bur-marigold.

Lower water levels provide ideal feeding opportunities for migrating wading birds such as greenshanks, snipe and ruffs. Wintering populations of whooper swans, pink-footed and greylag geese return from their northern breeding grounds. Mixed flocks of tits, goldcrests and treecreepers can be seen along the reserve trails.

Resident wildfowl populations are boosted by the return of wintering ducks, including goldeneyes, goosanders and wigeons. Red squirrels take advantage of the peanuts provided at the feeding station. Great spotted woodpeckers can be seen and heard calling, whilst on the water a sighting of a kingfisher is a possibility.

About Loch of Kinnordy

Habitat

Loch of Kinnordy is a reserve which includes the habitats of marshland, woodland and loch.

Conservation

What makes Loch of Kinnordy special is its mosaic of open water, reedbed and marsh scrubland habitats. This is how we want it to stay but the loch has other ideas!

The water here is high in nutrients which create the perfect conditions for plants to grow, from pond weed and algae to bulrush and eventually shrubs and trees. Over time, the loch would naturally turn from open water into woodland. In the past this was not a problem as other lochs would form in its place but today, due to human intervention, there is no space for new wetlands to form. This makes Loch of Kinnordy an important lifeline for wetland wildlife.

This is where the hard graft comes in. We need to control the vegetation at the reserve to protect the open water habitat. This can be done using machinery, grazing Highland cows or the old fashioned way - by hand!

By removing vegetation and monitoring water quality and wildlife we can work to maintain the mosaic of habitats that are vital to those wetland species who call Kinnordy home.

Site information

This nature reserve is important for wildlife. RSPB Scotland welcomes responsible access, in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

Loch of Kinnordy has been awarded SSSI, Ramsar and Natura 2000 status.

For a full list of events please visit our events page.

Latest forum posts

  • Merlin at Loch 0f Kinnordy?

    Spent a good couple of hours at the reserve today. Good to see the normal summer residents back but in addition to those a small raptor looking like a merlin appeared at around 2pm. Not sure if anyone else was there to witness this or if anyone has a...

    Posted 03/09/2020 by Itstimeforchange
  • Shooting on the reserve.......are you sure?

    It appears, based in the signs in the hides, that shooting is allowed on the reserve, which will be closed for 1 day in September and 1 day in October, due to terms between rspb and the kinnordy estate. This seems like a conflict of interest where me...

    Posted 07/09/2019 by Itstimeforchange
  • Tree down November 2017

    If you are visiting Kinnordy this weekend (11 Nov) please be aware there is a fallen tree obstructing the path. Please be careful when passing it. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. We will fix the problem as soon as possible. Thank y...

    Posted 11/11/2017 by Anna J
  • Work at Kinnordy on the 17th of March

    Please be aware that we will be doing crucial work with machinery in some areas of the reserve on Thursday the 17th of March. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Anna

    Posted 17/03/2016 by Anna J
read our forum

Latest blog posts

  • Marsh Harrier success!

    It’s been a turbulent year for the marsh harriers and we’ve been watching their progress in suspense! The pair nest every year at Loch of Kinnordy and have relatively good success. They can be seen gliding over the reeds hunting for their prey, with ...

    Posted 23/09/2019 by Ami K
  • Dad is hard at work!

    Ted Logan managed to capture these images of a father reed bunting hard at work.Over just a couple of hours at Loch of Kinnordy he caught many different insects. As Ted said he is "obviously providing a demanding new family a varied diet".

    Posted 14/08/2018 by Anna J
  • Year List 2017

    Happy New Year from all of us at RSPB Scotland Loch of Kinnordy! Looking back, here is our year list from Kinnordy for 2017. We had 123 bird species last year and we are hoping for just as good a year in 2018 or maybe even better. Let us know if you ...

    Posted 05/01/2018 by Anna J
  • Three times a charm

    Brilliant news, this year the marsh harriers at Kinnordy have fledged three chicks! Amazing family photos from Ted Logan:

    Posted 04/08/2017 by Anna J
read our blog

Activities and events

Leisure activities

For a full list of our events and booking information please visit our events page.

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