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| Introduction |
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This section is based entirely on a school
project by Edward Montgomery (then aged 12 1/2) while at Aysgarth
school, North Yorkshire, September 1997. The script remains entirely
unaltered but what we have done is to adapt the design and change
some of the photographs and illustrations.
Foreword by Jamie Montgomery,
Current owner of Kinross House |
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I live overlooking Loch Leven, the largest
loch in lowland Scotland and also one of the most important sites
for birds in Europe. Loch Leven lies below the Lomond Hills in Kinross-shire.
I went out on the loch for several hours with Alan Lauder, head of
Scottish National Heritage on Loch Leven, and Paul Brooks, his assistant.
I took photographs of some birds and the Priory on St.Serfs Island.
We also watched some scientists take readings from a solar powered
buoy. I gathered information about the catches from 1988 onwards from
the fisheries on the north side of the loch. I went out fishing on
the loch with a friend, but although I didn't catch anything, the
biggest fish that day was 10lbs. Loch Leven is the only place in the
world where there are Pink-Fleshed Brown Trout.
It was formed 10,000 years ago by glaciers
at the end of the Ice Age. The low-lying land filled with water and
became a large, shallow loch with an average depth of only four metres.
At three different places in the loch there are "Kettle Holes" which
were formed by huge blocks of ice. These holes are up to 25 metres
deep.
The earliest sign of civilisation on Loch
Leven was a "Crannog" or lake dwelling near a pier on the shore. St
Serfs Island was inhabited 800 years ago by Culdee monks and then
by monks from St Andrews who built the Priory and chapel there. Castle
Island is best known because of Mary Queen of Scots who was imprisoned
there in 1567. She was rescued by Willie Douglas, a servant of Sir
William Douglas, who at that time owned the loch. Willie took the
keys to the castle, which were next to his master's plate.
Until the mid-nineteenth century, the loch
was much bigger and deeper than it is today. In 1830-1832 the level
of the loch was lowered by 1.5 metres to control the water supply
to nearby mills. It is known that Bittern once bred in the marches,
along with Greylag Geese and Harriers. The building of sluice gates
on the east side of the loch meant that the fish population got smaller
because Salmon and Sea Trout were unable to migrate to the loch. Also
the very rare Char disappeared and the great population of Eels was
wiped out. Because of the lowering of the water level, vast amounts
of marsh were revealed and this has made it a favourite breeding place
for wildlife.
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