Loch Leven – A Level Path by the Shore to Burleigh Sands
About 4.3 miles on foot.
The Loch Leven Heritage Trail goes all the way round the loch, 21 km of it, but the stretch from Kinross is the one to start with.
From the pier it runs along the shore past Kirkgate Park, with Lochleven Castle on its island across the water, to the little beach at Burleigh Sands. It's 3.5 km each way, level and easy, and good for wildfowl in autumn and winter.
- Time
- About two hours: 3.5 km (2.2 miles) each way on a level path beside the loch.
- The path
- Mostly level and barrier-free, and used by wheelchairs. Shared with cyclists.
- Where to start
- Kirkgate Park, Kinross: check the signs for any charge. There is another car park at Burleigh Sands.
- When to go
- All year in daylight. Autumn and winter bring the wildfowl. The toilet in Kirkgate Park is open 9am to 7pm.
- Dogs
- Under close control: the loch is a nature reserve for wintering birds.
- Children
- Flat and safe, with a beach at the far end; cyclists share the path.
- Toilets
- An automated toilet in Kirkgate Park, open all year from 9am to 7pm.
The walk
Park at Kirkgate Park, on the shore of the loch at the edge of Kinross, and check the signs there for any charge. The park has an automated toilet that's open all year from 9am to 7pm. The Loch Leven Heritage Trail passes through the park. Kinross pier is a few minutes along the shore in one direction, and Burleigh Sands is 3.5 km from the pier in the other, so it's about 7 km there and back, or two hours at an easy pace. The trail is mostly level and has no barriers, and it's shared by walkers, cyclists and wheelchair users, so keep an ear out for bikes.
Out on the water is Lochleven Castle, a tower house of the 1300s on its own island. Mary Queen of Scots was held there in 1567. She lost a child there and was made to give up her crown to her infant son, James VI, before she escaped. Kirkgate Point, in the park, is the place to see it from. The loch is a National Nature Reserve and among the most important places for wildfowl in Europe, with thousands of birds wintering on it, so autumn and winter are a good time to come and binoculars are worth bringing.
Burleigh Sands, at the far end, is a small sandy beach with the hills across the water. It has a car park of its own, so the walk can be done from that end too. Keep dogs under close control, as the birds here are easily disturbed.
If it rains
The path is level and firm, so a shower won't stop it, but there's little shelter along the shore. On a wet day, walk as far as Kirkgate Point for the castle and turn back.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
Where to eat
Unorthodox Roasters, Kinross, a café in Kinross.
For further reading, before you go.
Photograph by Craig Cockburn via Google