Loch of the Lowes is a Scottish Wildlife Trust bird sanctuary just outside Dunkeld, only a few miles down the road from Pitlochry. For a small entrance fee the public are able to gain access to two terrific wildlife hides with superb views of the Loch, and in particular, great views of a well established Osprey nest.

The nest is some distance away (hence my poor photo above) but there are a couple of powerful telescopes provided in the hides which give an excellent view of the nest.

This osprey nest is famous for hosting Lady, an osprey who returned to Loch of the Lowes for 27 consecutive years, parenting many youngsters over that time. She did not return in 2015 and it remains to be seen if we will see her again in the future. The osprey in these photos is Lady’s successor and as you can see from the webcam image below she successfully hatched 3 eggs in 2015. Hopefully they will all survive to fledge later in the summer.

There are a number of other excellent osprey spotting opportunities not too far from Pitlochry including the RSPB reserve at Loch Garten and a couple of ‘secret’ locations, easily accessible from the road. Ask nicely and we might show you where they are!

Loch of the Lowes wildlife reserve also has a wonderful wild bird viewing window in the main building giving an excellent opportunity to see numerous species at close quarters.