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Galloway Red Kites - Dumfries and Galloway
The Galloway Red Kite Trail, an exciting birdwatching opportunity to view spectacular red kites in lovely scenery is now attracting the attention of walkers, cyclists, wildlife lovers and birdwatchers in Dumfries and Galloway and from much further afield. The 'Galloway Kite Trail' around beautiful Loch Ken promotes the population of kites, recently re-established in Kirkcudbrightshire, as a source of nature-based tourism to benefit local communities in the area. In so doing, the trail is helping to strengthen the 'ownership' of the kites by local communities and tourist operators.
The trail is an anticlockwise route of some twenty four miles around Loch Ken (winter) with an additional fourteen miles of forest drive (summer only). Being out on a bike is a great way to spot red kites and for the energetic, it’s a reasonably level route, with cycle racks provided at Boat O Rhone, New Galloway and Mossdale. The west side of Loch Ken is particularly quiet and attractive for cyclists.
There are viewing points with interpretation boards; several walks,(from a few hundred metres to 5km); viewing hides; a feeding station; visitor centre with CCTV (summer only); information boards in various outlets around Loch Ken; and two red kite sculptures, (at Parton and Mossdale). Information shelters are situated in Castle Douglas, Crossmichael, Parton and New Galloway.. The trail is signposted with brown road signs in an anticlockwise direction, for additional guidance en route.
A feeding station with a viewing hide has been established at Bellymack Hill Farm near Laurieston, and over 100 kites have often been seen together over winter months. These include a few of the birds released between 2001 and 2005, as well as birds, fledged in Galloway, and the odd visitor from elsewhere. The site also offers good views of raven and buzzard. Large numbers of kites are best seen in late afternoon in the winter months, but there are generally some kites around all day at any time of the year.
A community liaison officer is funded through RSPB Scotland’s Connecting Communities With Wildlife project, which is part-financed by Scottish Natural Heritage, the Scottish Government and the European Community, Dumfries and Galloway LEADER 2007-2013 Programme.
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