|
The most famous part of modern Kinross may well be the service area on the M90. Midway between Edinburgh and Perth, this facility provides a childrens' play park and picnic tables as well as more commercial offerings and makes a great place to stop on long-distance journeys. Visitors who come no further, however, miss all the charm of the town of Kinross and nearby Loch Leven.
Activities and attractions
Loch Leven Heritage Trail runs twelve and a half kilometres around the north side of the loch from the pier at Kinross to the bird sanctuary at Vane Farm. The path is flat and its surface firm, making it appropriate for use not only by walkers and cyclists but also by wheelchair users.
Kinross Golf Club maintains two 18 hole courses. While the Montgomery is the flagship course, the Bruce is well known for challenging water hazards. Both are open to the public.
Avid anglers will love Kinross. Loch Leven brown trout are a unique breed of fish found only in these waters. While they have frequently been seeded elsewhere, they easily interbreed with other trout and quickly vanish into the general gene pool. Only on Loch Leven can the original fish be found. Local outfitters are experienced in arranging expeditions for fishermen of all skill levels.
More breeding ducks live on Loch Leven than anywhere else in Europe. They are joined by up to 20,000 pink-footed and Greylag geese that come from Iceland every autumn. Swans frequent the loch, as do a great variety of wading birds. Visitors may also see roe deer, voles and several species of bats.
St. Serf's Inch is the largest island in Loch Leven. It was the home of a Culdee monastery dating from the eighth century. St. Serf's was a respected theological and educational facility for centuries. The Celtic church gave way to the Roman one, and eventually King David I granted St. Serf's Inch Priory to a group of Augustinians. It was here that Andrew de Wyntoun wrote the Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland, which contains a good deal of the material that William Shakespeare used in Macbeth. The Priory continued to exist until the reformation. The island is now a bird sanctuary and is not open to the public.
The ruined Lochleven Castle on Castle Island is maintained by the National Trust for Scotland. By 490 CE, the Pictish king Dongart had a fortress here, but the Tower House may have been constructed early in the fourteenth century, making it one of the oldest in Scotland. Its one unusual feature is an entrance from the second floor, rather than the first floor as was usual in such structures. It was this structure and its inner and outer courtyards with their smaller towers that was occupied by troops loyal to Edward I and then taken in a night infiltration by William Wallace. Mary Queen of Scots visited here, first voluntarily and later as a prisoner, and it was at Lochleven that she was forced to abdicate. The site is open to the public from April to September, and ferry transportation is included in the admission price.
Kinross House, begun in 1686, was the first great house in Scotland that was not built as a castle. The great architect Sir William Bruce built it for his own family. The house and the associated garden avenue are situated on the shore of Loch Leven and oriented toward Lochleven Castle on its island. The house is a family residence and is not open to visitors, but the grounds and the formal gardens make a delightful afternoon's stroll.
The tiny community of Balado a mile west of Kinross contains a high-arched bridge dating from the eighteenth century as well as the remains of World War II vintage RAF Balado. A part of the old airfield is now the site of the annual T in the Park Music Festival. More than 85,000 music lovers descend on the town to hear 200 bands performing over a period of three days on eleven separate stages.
Access and Places to Stay
Kinross sits at the intersection of M90 from Edinburgh to Perth and the A91 west to Stirling. While motor coach service is first rate and local buses are plentiful, there is no train station. Lodging options include camping and caravanning, self-catering facilities and an assortment of B&Bs and guesthouses as well as luxury hotels and motels catering to M90 motorists. Dining can be as simple as takeaway or tea shop fare, or it can mean fine dining in one of Kinross's first class eateries. A wide assortment of pubs means the night life here is particularly lively, especially in tourist season.
Accommodation in Kinross
Show Bed & Breakfasts in Kinross
Show Hotels in Kinross
Show Cottages in Kinross
Show Caravan Parks & Camping Sites in Kinross
| 
