Loch Ruthven

All of Scotland’s wild places and green spaces are vital for the survival of its unique, amazing wildlife. If you plan to head out to these areas please respect and protect Scotland’s great outdoors. As guidelines change, we ask that all visitors follow the latest Scottish Government restrictions and advice. See below for reserve details and our dedicated Covid-19 updates page for the latest safety information (link below). Thank you for your continued support and patience. Stay safe everyone.

Address: RSPB Loch Ruthven, B851, Croachy, Inverness IV2 6UA

Grid ref: NH638280

What3Words: weeds.divisions.tests

See our reserves Covid-19 updates page for which sites are open and other important details.

This remote and tranquil loch is pretty as a picture, surrounded by birch woodlands and heather-clad hills. The water here is fringed with sedge beds, making it one of the best places in the UK to see breeding Slavonian grebes and black-throated divers.

Plan your visit

Covid-19 update: The trails and car park are open (8am - 8pm). Signs in the car park will indicate if the hide is open and closed. Due to social distancing & the size of the hide, capacity is currently restricted to two households / bubbles and masks must be worn unless exempt. There is a small viewing screen on the north side of the hide, which is available at all times. Please be considerate of other users by limiting your time in the hide or at the screen if others are waiting.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: Free, but donations are very welcome.

Children: Free, but donations are very welcome.

Facilities

Car park
Viewing point
Nature trails

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

The nearest train station is at Inverness. From Inverness it may be possible to catch a bus to Croachy.

By bus

An infrequent service runs through Croachy - the bus stop is approximately one mile from the reserve. Contact D&E Coaches 01463 222 444.

By road

Loch Ruthven lies 16 miles (25 km) south-west of Inverness. Turn west off the A9 on the B851 towards Fort Augustus then, after eight miles (13 km), turn right at Croachy on to the unclassified road (reserve is signed). The reserve lies one mile (1.6 km) along that road on the left-hand side.

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.

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Small groups are welcome to visit and donations from groups using the facilities are appreciated. Unfortunately due to the small size of the car park and hide it is not possible to accommodate large groups or coaches. The hide and car park are very busy during the summer, please be considerate to other visitors when parking and using the hide and do not park on the narrow road.

Contact Loch Ruthven

RSPB Loch Ruthven, B851, Croachy, Inverness IV2 6UA
nsro@rspb.org.uk
01463 715000

What will you see?

Our star species

Black-throated diver

During spring, black-throated divers can sometimes be seen on the loch.

Curlew

In spring, you can hear their gorgeous, 'bubbling' song.

Osprey

Ospreys arrive in spring from their African wintering grounds.

Red-throated diver

Red-throated divers are adapted for life on the water, look for them on the loch as they go fishing.

Slavonian grebe

Slavonian grebes are Loch Ruthven's most special birds - this is the hub of the UK breeding population.

Nature spectacles

Visit in early spring to get the best veiws of the rare Slavonian grebe from the hide. The grebe are looking their best from April in a beautiful red and golden plumage and ruby red eye, in the spring sunshine they shine like jewels on the loch. Lucky visitors may be in with a chance to see courting pairs dancing or nest building behaviour in the sedge beds from the hide.

In the autumn flowering heather creates a purple carpet across the moorland, later the rowan and birch trees create a spectacular display of golden autumn colours.

The Slavonian grebes start to arrive from mid-March and are looking their best from April. It's best to view these spectacular birds from the hide where you are in with a chance of seeing courting pairs 'dance'. Osprey and red-throated divers are also regular visitors to the loch.

Lucky visitors to the hide may see the stripy Slavonian grebe chicks riding on a parent's back. The Slavonian grebes are starting to loose their breeding plumage but will usually stay around until August. Cuckoos can be heard and swallows, swift and sand martins zoom around the loch catching insects.

Any remaining Slavonian grebes will have moulted into their winter plumage but most will have left the loch by the end of August. Tufted ducks, teal and greylag geese may be seen on the loch. Heather is in full flower and the rowan and birch trees start to change into their golden autumnal colours.

Loch Ruthven is often iced over during the winter. On warmer winter days, which allow the loch to thaw, geese, teal and the occasional little grebe may be found on the open water. Roe deer sometimes wander down from the hill to find shelter.

About Loch Ruthven

Habitat

Designated as a Special Protected Area (SPA), RAMSAR and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) Loch Ruthven holds around 50 per cent of the UK Slavonian grebe population. The dense sedge beds which fringe the loch provide an ideal place to build their floating nests during spring and summer, which are best viewed from the hide to avoid disturbance to the legally protected grebes.

Substantial glacial activity has left large scarred boulders strewn around the loch edge and in the semi-natural broadlead woodlands along the trail to the hide and up into the hillside of Stac Gorm. The woodlands and moorlands along the hide path and around the reserve are home to an array of lichens and fungi and an assemblage of woodland birds including willow warbler, long-tailed tit and tree pipit.

Conservation

We monitor the population and breeding success of the Slavonian grebes and have a small team of volunteers who record sightings and grebe behaviour from the hide. Working with partners in Iceland and Norway we are learning more about the enigmatic species and the factors that affect the population and breeding. To protect the grebes at Loch Ruthven we regularly check for the presence of mink on the loch and undertake work on the sedge beds to keep them in good condition for the grebes floating nests.

Slavononian grebes are legally protected against disturbance as 'Schedule 1' birds. You can help by keeping away from the sedge beds during the breeding season and preventing your dog from swimming in the loch water during the breeding season.

There is the remains of a crannog just off the reserve, which is sometimes visible when the loch waters are low. We work with Historic Environment Scotland to protect the crannog and prevent damage to the scheduled monument.

Site information

This nature reserve is important for wildlife. RSPB Scotland welcomes responsible access, in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, please do not light fires on the reserve or beaches.

RSPB Loch Ruthven reserve is part of a suite of reserves run by the Central Highland Reserves team, which also includes Udale Bay and Fairy glen on the Black Isle.

Marshside

Lytchett Fields

Arne

Loch Ruthven