Day 21 of 30 Days Wild involved a short trip to RSPB Loch Leven on the way back to Aberdeen from Edinburgh. Located nearby Kinross, Loch Leven is a short drive from Edinburgh.

RSPB Loch Leven formally known as Vane Farm offers a woodland trail and a wetland trail. We went on the wetland trail which features 3 hides overlooking the Loch.

It was pretty quiet in the first hide, not much out on the water except a Coot and a Whooper Swan and a bee which flew into the hide.

Then things started to get interesting, a Kestrel appeared hovering over the wetland. As we watched him he dropped a level as he continued to hover in the search for food. Then suddenly he dropped into the reeds, emerging moments later with a mass of brown fur as he flew off over the hide.

On the way to the second hide we walked past the Bee Conservation area. A large area allocated to wildflowers especially for the bees and butterflies. The wildflowers hadn’t quite flowered yet, but I would love to go back for another visit in about a month or so to see it.

The thirds hide was where most of the birds could be spotted from. From here you could see Mallards, Black Headed Gulls, Tufted Ducks, Greylag Geese, Lapwings and Great Crested Grebes.

A short walk took us back to the centre. It was such a quaint place, an old farmhouse with lavender painted doors and windows. Swallows were nesting eaves and wildflowers lined the pathways.

Such a nice place to visit, we went in the evening and were blessed with lovely weather. I would definitely recommend coming to visit RSPB Loch Leven. If you have a children, they organise lots of different activities to get the kids involved and closer to nature.

RSPB Loch Leven I will be back soon!

Camilla-Erika x

(All photographs taken by Camilla-Erika Campbell)