Recent blog posts - Highland Perthshire Blogs

Osprey Tracking update – 21st October

Posted by peter on Wednesday, 21 October 2015 in Highland Perthshire

FR3 has continued to travel west over the last six days and is now only around 40km (25 miles) from the coast and the mouth of the Gambia river. By the evening of the 14th where we pick up the story, FR3 was roosting on the floodplain of the Bintang Bolon...

Osprey tracking update – 16th October

Posted by peter on Friday, 16 October 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Having arrived in Gambia, FR3 has spent the last few days travelling west, exploring both the main Gambia river and its lower tributary. Tendaba Camp Roosting close to the north bank of the main river on the night of the 11th, FR3 set off down-river the next morning sometime after 10am....

Misty mornings

Posted by peter on Wednesday, 14 October 2015 in Highland Perthshire

The mornings at Lowes are becoming more mystical and atmospheric every day, as Autumn progresses. The mist trapped by the hills, sweeping over the golf course and hovering over the loch, along with the bellowing of rutting deer and honking of migrating geese creates a wonderfully tranquil setting where one can...

Ruan Ruarie Success

Posted by peter on Tuesday, 13 October 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Dave Wilson rounded his season off nicely with a 5lb fish from the Viaduct Pool at Ruan Ruarie on Monday. Quite a few fish about by all accounts - and still time to get a ticket for the last couple of days of the season....

Osprey tracking update – FR3 joins sibling in the Gambia!

Posted by peter on Monday, 12 October 2015 in Highland Perthshire

FR3 has wasted no time since last week and I’m delighted to report has arrived safely in the Gambia. In the space of five days our young osprey has crossed three deserts: the Western Sahara, Akchar and Trarza; passed through the whole of Mauritania and most of Senegal, to arrive on...

Fly Tying evenings at Scotland's Hotel

Posted by peter on Friday, 09 October 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Our friendly and sociable fortnightly fly tying evenings start shortly. These evenings are open to all anglers/fly tiers, not just Club members. Evenings are informal and members are happy to teach anyone who wants to learn how to tie flies, join in for a blether or as many do try to refill these...

Osprey tracking update – 8th October

Posted by peter on Thursday, 08 October 2015 in Highland Perthshire

FR3 has made considerable progress over the past week, travelling around 1300km (800 miles) and as of 4pm on 6th October was in the central eastern part of Western Sahara. Flying south from the Oued Grou river on the 2nd, FR3 roosted overnight close to the Barrage Al Massari dam on the Oum...

Start of the grayling marks the end of 2015 trout season

Posted by peter on Wednesday, 07 October 2015 in Highland Perthshire

There are good populations of brown trout in all of our waters. The season finished yesterday and the trout are already colouring up for breeding. Let's hope that conditions for them spawning are good. Our annual River Tummel fishing permit for grayling and trout from October 7, 2015 to October 6, 2016...

Visitor Centre Closed Sunday October 4th

Posted by peter on Sunday, 04 October 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Unfortunately, the visitor centre still has no running water and therefore will be closed today. The Double Decker Hide is open as usual if you wish to visit, however, please bear in mind that the toilets are closed. Apologies again for this inconvenience and we will post an update tomorrow as...

Visitor Centre CLOSED

Posted by peter on Saturday, 03 October 2015 in Highland Perthshire

The visitor centre will not be open today as we have no running water. If this situation changes and we are able to open tomorrow we will let you know. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.Original linkOriginal author: jonathan...

Osprey tracking update – 2nd October

Posted by peter on Friday, 02 October 2015 in Highland Perthshire

After last week’s exertions travelling from France to Morocco last week, FR3 has slowed the migration pace again this week. Over the last seven days our young osprey has travelled approximately 120km (70 miles) further SW. The bulk of this journey took place on 25th September, since when FR3 has once again settled into...

Help us protect Perthshire’s Wildlife!

Posted by peter on Thursday, 01 October 2015 in Highland Perthshire

With your support our ranger can work all year round to protect even more of Perthshire’s incredible wildlife. The Perthshire Ranger is a key member of our team and plays a vital role in looking after wildlife on our five local Scottish Wildlife Trust reserves and beyond. As another successful summer...

New salmon fishing announcement by the Scottish Government

Posted by peter on Monday, 28 September 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Following further consultation the minister Aileen McLeod stated:The product of that further consideration has led to a revised scheme and accompanying activity which we have just made public through a press release and detailed web content. I am writing therefore to provide you with notice of that detail, the key elements...

Sawmill Success

Posted by peter on Saturday, 26 September 2015 in Highland Perthshire

There's still a few fish about and Paul Carter was in the right place this morning with a 6lb fish from Sawmill on the fly. The counter at the dam currently stands at 5332 and good numbers of fish were showing below the dam....

FR3 in Morocco; FR4 exploring the Gambia!

Posted by peter on Friday, 25 September 2015 in Highland Perthshire

The latest satellite data which we downloaded this afternoon shows that FR3 has made considerable progress over the last week and is now in Morocco! FR3’s movements to 24th September 2015 ©Scottish Wildlife Trust Having left the fishing ponds near Saint-Paul-Lizonne on the 20th, home for the past three weeks, FR3...

Sawmill Return

Posted by peter on Wednesday, 23 September 2015 in Highland Perthshire

The river is now sitting at summer levels but Bob Crowther showed it is still worth a cast with a fresh fish of 5lbs on the fly in Sawmill yesterday. Hopefully a few more to come before the end of the season....

On The Move

Posted by peter on Monday, 21 September 2015 in Highland Perthshire

The latest satellite tracking data arrived today showing both our tracked ospreys are moving south. FR3 is heading further south through France and FR4 is now in Gambia! View Tracking Page Here Here at Loch of the Lowes autumn is turning foliage into fabulous colours and giving us atmospheric misty mornings....

In Case You Missed It

Posted by peter on Sunday, 20 September 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Amazingly, FR4 has reached Senegal! Although FR4 was the last chick to leave the nest at Loch of the Lowes, he/she is now safely in Senegal. The exact positions of the satellite tracked flight are on our Osprey Tracking Page . I wonder where our juveniles will be when the next batch...

FR4s Journey Through Africa

Posted by peter on Tuesday, 15 September 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Since departing on their migration last month FR3 and FR4 have shown us that they both have very different approaches to making the journey. FR3 arrived in France on 22nd August and seems to be showing no signs of being in a hurry to reach West Africa, still sticking to the...

Ruan Ruarie Salmon

Posted by peter on Saturday, 12 September 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Dave Wilson was the successful angler today with a 9lb salmon on Ruan Ruarie. Conditions weren't the best but the fish didn't seem to mind - quite a few showing on the beat at the moment. The heavy rain should freshen things up - hopefully a few more to come next...

Ticking Over

Posted by peter on Friday, 11 September 2015 in Highland Perthshire

The river has dropped back a bit over the last week or so but fish are still passing through steadily with the odd one getting caught: Sylvian Barry landed a 4lb grilse on the spinner on Port-na-Craig bank last Saturday; and Iain McGinlay caught a fish of 4lbs on Ruan Ruarie...

NEWSFLASH: FR4 in Morocco!

Posted by peter on Thursday, 10 September 2015 in Highland Perthshire

We have just received data showing that FR4 has arrived safely in Morocco! The tracking page will be updated next week FR4 in Morocco ©Scottish Wildlife TrustOriginal linkOriginal author: jonathan...

FR4 in Africa (almost)

Posted by peter on Thursday, 10 September 2015 in Highland Perthshire

FR4’s migration journey shows no signs of slowing down. Having made rapid progress through France and northern Spain, our young osprey has continued SW and as of 1pm on the 8th (the last data point we have) was flying about 12km (8 miles) off the NW coast of Morocco! Setting out from...

Reminder: 2020VISION Talk with Pete Cairns

Posted by peter on Wednesday, 09 September 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Next Thursday at the Birnam Arts Centre renowned wildlife photographer Pete Cairns will be giving a fascinating evening talk and presenting stunning imagery from the 2020VISION project. 2020VISION showcases the amazing landscapes and wildlife that the UK has to offer and reminds us why nature matters to us. See my previous blog from a couple...

Osprey tracking update: 7th September

Posted by peter on Monday, 07 September 2015 in Highland Perthshire

With the last data download on Friday showing FR3 firmly ensconced in France and FR4 halfway across the English Channel (two days previous), we were all eager to find out where the latter of our two young tagged ospreys had got to. The answer was: Spain! FR4 would have made landfall on the...

Ruan Ruarie Grilse

Posted by peter on Saturday, 05 September 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Not many rods out this week but still a few fish about. Dave Wilson took advantage catching a 3lb grilse on Ruan Ruarie today and losing another. The forecast for next week is for more settled conditions - definitely worth a go....

Farewell FR4

Posted by peter on Friday, 04 September 2015 in Highland Perthshire

FR4 was last seen by the staff and volunteers at Loch of the Lowes on Monday so we had strong suspicions that our last remaining chick had departed on migration. An eagle-eyed webcam viewer informed us that FR4 was on the nest at 6.39am on Tuesday and downloading the latest satellite data this morning...

August Report From Hill Lochs

Posted by peter on Wednesday, 02 September 2015 in Highland Perthshire

This season so far has certainly been very challenging in the hills as far as the weather was concerned and August certainly continued where July left off.However,catches have been good on the days when conditions were suitable i.e.without driving rain and very strong winds.Both Bhac and Kinardochy have fished well to...

A visit to Handa Island, a very different Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve

Posted by peter on Tuesday, 01 September 2015 in Highland Perthshire

A ten minute boat ride off the Scottish mainland, right up in the north west of the country lies Handa Island, a tranquil little place and home to an impressive show of wildlife. As volunteer ranger interns based at Loch of the Lowes, we jumped at the chance to take a...

Osprey update: 31st August

Posted by peter on Monday, 31 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

FR3 Having made rapid progress along the Atlantic coast of France, FR3 appears to have settled for the time being in the south of the country. Travelling slowly south-west over 25th & 26th August, FR3 then headed north-west on the 27th to the current location; an agricultural area on the border between the departments...

Fantastic news about Blue YD!

Posted by peter on Friday, 28 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

We are all very excited and delighted to share the news that Blue YD, a male osprey who hatched from a nest in Angus in 2012, has been spotted alive and well in Fife. We were successful in following his first migration south with the help of his satellite tracker, but...

Still Fish About

Posted by peter on Wednesday, 26 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

The river level has dropped back over the last couple of days but there are still fish to be caught: Andy Khakoo managed to winkle out a sea trout of about 2lbs on the fly in Sawmill this afternoon; and this evening Brian Joseph landed a 5lb grilse on Port-na-Craig bank...

Pete Cairns 2020VISION Talk @Birnam Arts Centre

Posted by peter on Wednesday, 26 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

I’m excited to tell you that renowned wildlife photographer Pete Cairns will be giving a talk about the 2020VISION project at the Birnam Arts Centre on the evening of Thursday 17th September at 7.30pm. 2020VISION is the most ambitious conservation photography project ever staged in the UK. 20 of the country’s...

FR3 has left for migration!

Posted by peter on Monday, 24 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

We are delighted to announce that after an incredible osprey season at Loch of the Lowes, one of our satellite tagged chicks FR3 has set off on its autumn migration. It left Scottish soil just south of Ross on the south-west coast at 9am on the 18th August, and by 1pm...

Sawmill Grilse

Posted by peter on Friday, 21 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Quite a few fish showing at the Dam today but nothing caught, unfortunately. Further downstream at Sawmill Gordon Nichol landed a 4 lb grilse on the fly this evening. Will be interesting to see what the weekend brings....

Sawmill On Form

Posted by peter on Tuesday, 18 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

There's still a few fish about - Andy Khakoo struck again in Sawmill today with a fish of 4lbs on his first cast! Plenty of fish were showing in the beat by all accounts - definitely worth a cast....

Good weather for ducks (and fallow deer apparently!)

Posted by peter on Tuesday, 18 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

After a few days of something more akin to summer weather normal service has been resumed here at Loch of the Lowes. The signs weren’t good from the word go today, with grey clouds gathering over the loch from early morning. By lunchtime the rain had arrived any continued to fall for...

Sawmill Success

Posted by peter on Friday, 14 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

The Sawmill was looking good today and Gordon Nichol took advantage with a fish of 12lbs on the fly this afternoon. The river remains at an excellent height and with good numbers of fish about prospects look good for tomorrow....

Optics Fair at Lowes

Posted by peter on Friday, 14 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

This weekend we have our second Optics Fair for 2015. On Sunday between 10am and 4pm we will be joined by Donald from Opticron, who will be on hand to provide expert advice, with a wide selection of binoculars and telescopes available to try and buy. So if you’re needing a...

Dam Fishing Well

Posted by peter on Thursday, 13 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Lots of fish showing at the Dam this morning and Gary Waugh took advantage continuing his good run with a 7lber from Pitlochry bank this morning on the fly. With the river at a good height and plenty of fish about prospects look good for the weekend....

Fish About!

Posted by peter on Wednesday, 12 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

There's still fish about: Andy Khakoo continued his good run with a grilse of 4lbs on the fly this afternoon in Sawmill: and this evening Brian Joseph landed a fish of 4lbs on Port-na-Craig bank on the spinner. Good numbers of fish showing by all accounts and definitely still worth a...

Osprey update and a first departure

Posted by peter on Wednesday, 12 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

A month has now passed since FR2 and FR3 fledged (three weeks for FR4) and as we approach mid-August they are spending increasing intervals of time away from the nest site. Both satellite tagged birds have now made short forays away from Loch of the Lowes as can be seen from the latest batch...

Good Start To The Week

Posted by peter on Monday, 10 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

There was some unsettled weather about today - including very heavy showers - but we did have one return with Gordon Graham landing a clean 5lb fish. Hopefully there will be more to come as the water settles back over the next few days....

Osprey season may be coming to an end, but the wildlife is here to stay

Posted by peter on Monday, 10 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

At Loch of the Lowes, visitors are drawn in by the promise and allure of the breeding ospreys, but wildlife of all shapes and sizes is here to greet you as soon as you arrive on site. On the path between the car park and visitor centre, interesting invertebrates can often be spotted in...

Dam On Form

Posted by peter on Saturday, 08 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

It was good to see some rods on the Dam today and with six fish caught and at least another four lost the fishing was exceptional: Gary Waugh got things going with a sea liced fish of 5lbs on the fly from Pitlochry bank in the morning and followed up with...

Fishing Well

Posted by peter on Friday, 07 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

With the water level dropping back nicely and lots of fish showing conditions were excellent at the dam today. Docherty took advantage with a fish of 8lbs on Pitlochry bank this afternoon on the fly - and another two lost. Looking good for tomorrow.Danny Docherty on Pitlochry bank this afternoon...

The adventurous osprey!

Posted by peter on Thursday, 06 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Despite the miserable wet weather recently at Loch of the Lowes, there has been plenty of osprey action in and around the nest. As well as fending off several unwanted intruder ospreys, the male had to see off a red kite who came a little too close for comfort, providing quite...

Sawmill Sea Trout

Posted by peter on Thursday, 06 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Andy Khakoo showed it is still worth a cast - catching a 2.5lb sea trout on the fly at BP burn on our Sawmill beat yesterday. Still fish about for those willing to have a cast....

Ospreys Galore!

Posted by peter on Sunday, 02 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

The three young ospreys may have fledged but they are continuing to provide great entertainment for visitors to Loch of the Lowes. Not only do they perch around the trees opposite the hides and fly back and forth to the nest (giving superb views) but they are also honing their fishing...

Good End To The Week

Posted by peter on Saturday, 01 August 2015 in Highland Perthshire

With the river height close to ideal at the moment and plenty of fish showing it was good to see a few day rods out on our Dam beat today. As expected the fishing was excellent with five fish caught: Gary Waugh was first into action on Pitlochry bank this morning...

Salmon And Sea Trout

Posted by peter on Friday, 31 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Paul Carter did well tonight with a salmon at 10lbs, a sea trout at 2lbs and a further two salmon hooked but lost. Paul tells me he was trialling a new fly - looks like it's a winner! Should be more to come tomorrow....

Grilse At The Dam

Posted by peter on Thursday, 30 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Good numbers of fish were showing at the Dam this evening. Gordon Nichol was the lucky angler tonight with a 3lb grisle on Pitlochry bank on the fly. For those willing to venture out this weekend prospects look excellent....

JULY REPORT FROM HILL LOCHS

Posted by peter on Thursday, 30 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Although July weather has been very unseasonable to say the least both hill lochs have fished well on days when conditions were conducive for fishing. Bhac rainbows have been in the mood with boat and bank anglers doing well. Kate McLaren,buzzers,damsel nymphs and dries have all proved popular. Kinardochy brownies have...

Fish At The Dam

Posted by peter on Wednesday, 29 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Not many rods out at the moment but those willing to have a cast are being rewarded: Brian Joseph ventured out late this evening and landed a 5lb grilse on Port-na-Craig bank on the fly. The river remains at a great height and there are still lots of fish moving about...

PAC Double

Posted by peter on Tuesday, 28 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Fish are showing throughout PAC beats at the moment and today we achieved a double with fish caught at the Dam and Sawmill: Ian Hislop caught a 5 lb fish on the fly this evening on Pitlochry bank while further downstream at Sawmill Andy Khakoo landed a grilse of 3lbs -...

Osprey tag, a swoop and a screaming frenzy!

Posted by peter on Tuesday, 28 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Anyone visiting Loch of the Lowes over the past few days could be forgiven for thinking that autumn has come early, with damp and dreary weather dominating proceedings. Thankfully however, we still have plenty of wildlife to remind us that summer hasn’t passed us by yet at least! Our young osprey fledglings continue...

Good End To The Week

Posted by peter on Saturday, 25 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

We're now almost at the end of July and with good water levels PAC beats continue to fish well:Friday: Martin Wilson landed a 7lber on Pitlochry bank on the fly in the eveningSaturday: Paul Carter caught a fresh fish of 6lbs on the fly this morningConditions remain excellent - looking good...

Fish About!

Posted by peter on Thursday, 23 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Despite the excellent water levels PAC beats are very lightly fished at the moment but those who do venture our are being rewarded with good sport: at the Dam today Peter Stewart landed a 6lb fish on Pitlochry bank this afternoon - and lost another two; further downstream at Sawmill Rob...

Osprey Update 21st July

Posted by peter on Tuesday, 21 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

It’s an exciting time here at Loch of the Lowes, and a real relief to have witnessed all three of our osprey chicks fledging successfully. After its maiden flight on Sunday, FR4 decided to spend most of Monday tucked up on the nest, trying to shelter from the intermittent rain showers....

Technical Difficulties

Posted by peter on Monday, 20 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Just a quick note to apologise for the webcam interruption this morning. Due to a power cut over the weekend we have been experiencing technical problems, but hopefully our clever IT team will have it back up and running shortly. Thanks for your patience! Charlotte. Perthshire Ranger.Original linkOriginal author: charlotteranger...

The final fledging and diving practice!

Posted by peter on Sunday, 19 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

For those of you who haven’t been watching the webcam this afternoon I’m delighted to tell you that our remaining osprey chick has finally fledged the nest. After many days of “helicoptering” and hopping around on the nest FR4 finally plucked up the courage to take the plunge at around 3.35pm....

Webcam Interruption

Posted by peter on Saturday, 18 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

The power went off at Loch of the Lowes last night leading to the webcam going offline. We are relieved to say the electricians have attended and it has been sorted out (fingers firmly crossed). For all those who called the centre, we apologise for not answering. We were dealing with the...

Sawmill Fishing Well

Posted by peter on Thursday, 16 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

With the river at a good height and the odd fish showing the Sawmill looked very promising this morning. Jimmy Ross had a quick run through and was rewarded with a 10lb fish on the fly - the good run continues. Surely a few more to come this week....

Sawmill And Dam On Form

Posted by peter on Wednesday, 15 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

The river is at a good height at the moment and this is encouraging fresh fish into our beats. Andy Khakoo was in the right place to take advantage yesterday morning - following up on his recent success with a fresh fish of 10lbs on the fly in the Sawmill and...

The story of fledging so far…

Posted by peter on Tuesday, 14 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

It’s with great excitement that I write this blog following the announcement of such eagerly anticipated news, after two of our three chicks at Lowes fledged on Sunday evening! Both chicks’ behaviour from 4pm onwards hinted that the time had come, with plenty of wing stretching and flapping to be seen...

Not one but … 2 chicks fledge!

Posted by peter on Sunday, 12 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

We are delighted to say that two of our chicks fledged successfully this afternoon! So … don’t worry if at any point you only see one chick in the nest on the webcam. The other two are safe and well and both have also achieved safe landings on nearby trees. More...

Osprey Update 12th July

Posted by peter on Sunday, 12 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

We are aware that a short time ago our male osprey brought back a fish to the nest which unfortunately contained a fishing hook and nylon thread. Whilst feeding, the adult female did for a short time catch her beak on the thread but after some vigorous head shaking she managed...

PAC Beats Fishing Well

Posted by peter on Friday, 10 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Good numbers of fish are moving through PAC beats at the moment and although lightly fished over the last week those willing to have a cast are reaping the rewards:Tuesday: Robert Crowther followed on from his recent success with another fish - in Sawmill this time - a fresh 10lber on...

A Fish Delivery!

Posted by peter on Friday, 10 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Here is a wonderful image of our male osprey bringing in a fish for the family! Photo: Copyright Dave Tarvit 2015.Original linkOriginal author: jonathan...

Fledgewatch 2015 Begins!

Posted by peter on Friday, 10 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Excitement is building at Loch of the Lowes as we await the fledging of our three osprey chicks. As they enter the ‘fledging window’, they are becoming more and more active and keen to show off their new-found ‘helicoptering’ skills. At times it’s a little crowded on the nest as all...

Summer Wildlife

Posted by peter on Monday, 06 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

There is an abundance of summer wildlife cavorting at Loch of the Lowes at the moment. A chaffinch even joined the fun inside the visitor centre this afternoon, adding a ‘close-up and personal’ aspect to the Lowes experience! Up to three red squirrels at a time are bouncing around outside the viewing window...

Ruan Ruarie Return

Posted by peter on Wednesday, 01 July 2015 in Highland Perthshire

The ladder count at the dam now stands at over 2500 and with most of these heading up the river Garry there are good fishing opportunities to be had on our Ruan Ruarie beat. Dave Wilson took advantage today - and continued his good run - with a fish of 7lbs...

Fish At The Dam

Posted by peter on Tuesday, 30 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

With the Dam beat being very lightly fished at the moment it was good to see a couple of anglers out today - and being successful: John Batley landed a 6lb fish this morning on the spinner on Pitlochry bank: and Michael Dawnay hooked but unfortunately lost a fish on Port-na-Craig...

The Ringing of the Chicks 29th June

Posted by peter on Tuesday, 30 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

It’s incredible how quickly time flies, and at nearly 6 weeks old it was time to ring and tag our osprey chicks yesterday. Whilst our male had witnessed similar events before, this was our new female’s first experience and as ever, our expert team worked as quickly and quietly as possible...

HILL LOCHS FISHING WELL

Posted by peter on Monday, 29 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

With temperatures more like it for this time of the season the last week or so, fishing has at last returned to its normal self on Bhac.Most successful flies have been damsel nymphs,bibio and grouse and claret.On Kinardochy the brown trout have found interest in both olive and claret bumbles as...

Fish About!

Posted by peter on Monday, 29 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

No anglers out on the Dam beat during the day but in the evening Brian Joseph did well landing a 10lber on the fly on Port-na-Craig bank. The water is still a bit coloured but it didn't put this fish fish off - a very confident take by all accounts. Another...

Ringing Update

Posted by peter on Monday, 29 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

The webcam is now back online – thank you to everyone for your patience during this very exciting time. I am happy to confirm that the ringing and tagging process went well, with all chicks ringed and two fitted with satellite transmitters – a more detailed account with photos will follow...

Chick ringing and tagging underway

Posted by peter on Monday, 29 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Ringing and satellite tagging of the chicks at Loch of the Lowes is now underway. As a result the webcam will be offline for a short period of time. Photos of the event will be posted later.Original linkOriginal author: jonathan...

News from the ladder

Posted by peter on Sunday, 28 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Just a short update on what's happening with the salmon counts at Pitlochry Dam fish ladder this year using information from our Pitlochry counter Twitter site (do please check this link out). Salmon started getting up the ladder on or just before 29 March - a little earlier than last year - at a...

Sawmilled!

Posted by peter on Saturday, 27 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

With plenty of fish about the Sawmill continues to fish well - so much so that two members were Sawmilled today - i.e. reached their two fish beat limit for the week: Gordon Nichol landed a 9lb fish this morning and not long after Jimmy Ross did the same. Both fish...

Mystery Bird on Loch – Identified

Posted by peter on Saturday, 27 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

From time to time, a ‘different’ bird is seen amongst the flocks of Canada Geese floating around Loch of the Lowes. At the moment, there is a Barnacle Goose, but recently there was a white headed, white tailed water bird which was proving hard to identify. With thanks to the excellent...

Fishing Well

Posted by peter on Friday, 26 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

The river has risen a few inches over the last couple of days and, with a fresh fish about, the Sawmill continues to fish well. The Dam beat, meanwhile, has been quiet - though this probably reflects the fact that it has been very lightly fished as much as anything -...

Sawmill Success

Posted by peter on Tuesday, 23 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Monday: The Sawmill is fishing well at the moment and Graeme Stewart was able to take advantage with a 5lb grilse on the fly this morning in Sawmill.Tuesday: Catching your first salmon isn't easy: you've worked on your casting; got to know the beat; and even hooked and lost a fish....

Ruan Ruarie and Sawmill On Form

Posted by peter on Saturday, 20 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

It was relatively quiet on PAC waters today with only two fish caught: Dave Wilson landed a 7lber on Ruan Ruarie beat; and on Sawmill this morning Gordon Nichol landed a 12lber on the fly. Currently the counter at the fish ladder shows 1848 so still lots of fish (and fishing...

It is looking lovely and summery at the Hermitage just now :) What's your favour...

Posted by peter on Saturday, 20 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

It is looking lovely and summery at the Hermitage just now :) What's your favourite thing about the Hermitage?Original linkOriginal author: North Perthshire Ranger Service...

Expect the unexpected at Loch of the Lowes

Posted by peter on Saturday, 20 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Over the last week we have had some unusual sightings which have delighted visitors, all the more so because they came ‘out of the blue’. Not two, or three but four juvenile woodpeckers are currently visiting the feeding station. Initially they are being fed by the adults but quickly learn to...

Still Fish About

Posted by peter on Friday, 19 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Two lost on Port-na-Craig bank this morning and one lost at Sawmill: it looked like one of those days. Late this evening Gordon Nichol saved the day with a 10lber on the fly on Pitlochry bank. Still plenty of fish about - will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings....

If you guessed this month's mystery picture was of a great spotted woodpecker yo...

Posted by peter on Friday, 19 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

If you guessed this month's mystery picture was of a great spotted woodpecker you'd be right :) Here it is in action, feeding it's young in an oak tree, down by Soldiers Leap, Killiecrankie.Original linkOriginal author: North Perthshire Ranger Service...

Sawmill Success

Posted by peter on Thursday, 18 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Plenty of fish showing in Sawmill at the moment but not easy to catch. A fish was lost yesterday but today Jimmy Ross managed to hold on to one - landing a good fish of 11lbs on the fly. The river is still sitting at a good height - well worth...

Ticking Over

Posted by peter on Wednesday, 17 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

The dam count has shot up over the last week but still good numbers of fish showing on PAC beats at the moment and despite the light fishing effort some of them are getting caught:Tuesday:Nothing caught during the day but Jim Fisher ventured out in evening and did well with an...

Here's this month's mystery picture.....but what do you think it is? Answers ple...

Posted by peter on Wednesday, 17 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Here's this month's mystery picture.....but what do you think it is? Answers please :)Original linkOriginal author: North Perthshire Ranger Service...

Another new addition -we captured this roe deer with her very young fawn on our...

Posted by peter on Tuesday, 16 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Another new addition -we captured this roe deer with her very young fawn on our Linn of Tummel trail camera. Please share this post if it made you go "awwwwww" :)Original linkOriginal author: North Perthshire Ranger Service...

Steady Start To The Week

Posted by peter on Monday, 15 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

It was a steady start to the week with fish caught at the Dam and Sawmill; Duncan Webster opened his Tummel account with a fresh fish of 12lbs on the fly on Pitlochry bank this evening - well done; and downstream at Sawmill Graeme Stewart struck again with an 8lber on...

Come Rain or Shine!

Posted by peter on Monday, 15 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

The very changeable weather over the week-end did not bother the wildlife at all, even if the human visitors were shivering at times. The ospreys continue to do well with all three chicks receiving plenty of food. Don’t worry if you only see two chicks feeding when you are here (or...

Our resident pair of nuthatches at Killiecrankie had four young this year, all o...

Posted by peter on Sunday, 14 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Our resident pair of nuthatches at Killiecrankie had four young this year, all of whom have become regulars at our bird feeding station. The problem is, they are a very active lot who never keep still, so far we have just managed to photograph three at once, but we’ll keep trying...

Good End To The Week

Posted by peter on Saturday, 13 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

We've had contrasting conditions over the last couple of days - hot and sunny on Friday and overcast and cooler on Saturday - but both days produced fish and PAC beats continue to fish well:Friday: David Russell got things going in the morning with a 14lber caught on the fly on...

A big thank you to the Trust's Lothian Conservation Volunteers who helped us wit...

Posted by peter on Friday, 12 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

A big thank you to the Trust's Lothian Conservation Volunteers who helped us with some path work at the Hermitage recently. Lots of hard work took place whilst enjoying the sunshine under the big trees too :) www.nts.org.uk/volunteeringOriginal linkOriginal author: North Perthshire Ranger Service...

Binoculars found

Posted by peter on Friday, 12 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

Have you lost your binoculars? If you visited Loch of the Lowes in the last two weeks and can’t find your binoculars – we may know where they are! Please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the make and model of the pair you have mislaid and we will get back to...

Ticking Over

Posted by peter on Thursday, 11 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

It was another scorcher at the Dam today - not ideal for fishing. Still lots of fish about, though, - but difficult to tempt in these conditions. As it turned out only one fish was caught - Gordon Nichol landed a 7lber on the fly on Port-na-Craig bank this morning. Overhead...

News update 11th June: Ospreys, angry pheasants & phalaropes!

Posted by peter on Thursday, 11 June 2015 in Highland Perthshire

From freezing cold to sweltering hot, gale force winds to long still days when roe deer doze in pools of dappled sunshine – summer is arriving at Loch of the Lowes. With fingers firmly crossed, we are delighted to say all three osprey chicks are thriving and being very well tended...