Rhona Maxwell, our Projects and Events Officer, tells us why she loves visiting our Loch Leven nature reserve.
I want to tell you about my happy place – the RSPB Scotland Loch Leven nature reserve. Not as a member of staff (I don’t work on the reserve), but as a mum. My daughter is now seven, and it’s somewhere I’ve been taking her since she was two, when I first started working for the RSPB. There aren’t many places that stand the test of time through the ages for kids; as they grow and change you find yourself naturally moving on from one era to another, with some transitions sadder than others (bye-bye soft play!). This place is different through, and it’s become very special to me.
On arrival you’ll enter the reserve through a beautiful courtyard just a stone’s throw from the car park (entry is free, you just pay a small fee for parking). Throughout your visit you’ll be greeted by friendly, blue t-shirted staff who, after a few hours, you’ll understand why they’re always smiling – imagine this being your office!
Straight up I’m going to mention the gift shop you’ll find inside the visitor centre here. At this point some of you may have a sharp intake of breath at the thought of exploring a gift shop as anything other than the very last thing you do at the end of the day, on the way back to the car. Not me – I often do a browse early on. I’ve also been known to eat my dessert while cooking dinner. Sue me. Growing up I remember choosing my birthday presents from the RSPB catalogue (which answers any question of ‘have I always been this cool?’), and so seeing it burst into real life with such an incredible gift shop is really quite exciting. Alongside fancy optics equipment and beautiful homeware you’ll find an inspiring collection of things suitable for kids like wildlife ID charts, books, board games and all manner of toys. On my last visit we bought a snazzy junior litter picker and butterfly feeder as gifts for friends’ kids.
You can pick up a map of the reserve, with information about various well-marked trails to follow that range from the buggy-friendly short ‘leafy loop’ to the 7k Sleeping Giant pathway if you’re feeling more energetic. You can follow a trail or just make your own way around the reserve which encompasses a wetland area, wildflower meadow and woodlands. Depending on the season you can expect to see a huge variety of species including osprey, pink-footed geese, lapwing and their resident nesting swallows in the courtyard.
Kids can hire super-cute little branded backpacks for the day, or a pond-dipping kit, which comes with everything they need for a pond-dipping adventure; a bug collector pot, ID chart, net, lanyard and special tray for examining what they find. There are purpose-built ponds down by the loch shore, with lots of exciting critters to catch including snails, shrimp, beetles, pond-skaters and even tiny fish. There’s often special themed seasonal activities during school holidays as well as events like NatureTots for under 5’s, the Big Wild Sleepout and at the moment a geocaching trail (their Facebook page has all the info).
Sometimes the best adventures are the ones in their minds. We’ve been on a bear hunt (are you even a parent if you don’t sing “we’re going to find a big one!” in your head every time you hear that phrase?), a bug hunt and had some of our best conversations while hiking up the big hill to sit with our crisps and see if we can spot Gran’s house in Glasgow.
There has been huge investment in recent years to make much of the site accessible, with a special underpass having been built under the road making it possible for wheelchair users to visit the parts of the nature reserve that extend down to Loch Leven. The visitor centre is also proud to now be an official ‘Changing Places’ destination with a fully accessible toilet for those with complex disabilities. There’s plenty of wildlife hides and strategically placed benches around, placed at viewpoints to kick back with a pair of binoculars or just close your eyes and listen to the sounds of nature. One thing you’ll hear a lot of is bumblebees, as the reserve has it’s very own wildflower bumblebee sanctuary with many different species documented.
No article about Loch Leven nature reserve would be complete without mentioning the café, or more specifically, the scones. They really are quite legendary, and the reason many of our office-based teams find an excuse to hold their days out here. They can be enjoyed, along with the rest of the menu, with one of the best café views imaginable if you bag a window seat. You’re also more than welcome to bring your own food - there’s picnic benches all around, including the courtyard and on grassy areas you can lay out a blanket.
We’ve visited with so many of our friends, but it’s also a great place to go with other family members like grandparents. They might delight in surprising you with their bird knowledge, will beam at the sight of kids running around in nature, and will almost certainly buy them some sweeties at the shop.
On your way back to the car, if you feel inspired I’d recommend signing up to a family membership. There’s loads of perks but most importantly, for less than the price of a decent coffee every month, you’ll be helping the RSPB continue to do it’s work saving nature, and the kids will get hands down the best kids magazine you’ve ever seen through their letter box every month, alongside the grown up version. I first became a member when I was nine years old, and one day I’ll track down a copy of the magazine that year where they published my absolutely terrible story about a kestrel. It was the start of something very special.
By Rhona, aged 39 and a half.
Main image: Rhona's daughter looking through a wooden fence with bird-shaped cutouts.