MPpays avisitto fishery
Stephen Kerr MP visited the Swanswater Fishery recently to hear about the business, tour the facility and discuss an issue regarding the water supply.
Cultenhove Dam, fed by water from Loch Coulter via the Sauchie Burn, has been in existence for over 200years.
The dam and lade were built to run local grain and sawmills. During the 1960s the fish farm was built and shortly after that the present day Meadow Pond was dug out as a fishing pond.
The next stage was to develop the Millpond as a fishing venue and that was how things were until 1990 when the silted and overgrown Swanswater was dug out and cleared.
The burn area and the area behind the islands were cleared in 2004 with the latter also being dug out again in 2012. The fishery now comprises the 10- acre Swanswater, two acre Millpond and .75acre Meadow Pond.
The fishery attracts a large variety of wildlife including otter, several species of ducks and other water fowl, and regular summer visits from an Osprey.
Alasdair and Morna Lohoar took over the Fishery in November 1997 and have built up the business, including stocking top quality trout.
Morna said: “This was a great opportunity for Stephen to see the work carried out here and to learn more of the issues we have faced when the Howietoun Fishery run by Stirling University was closed down last year.
“Stephen managed to help us with getting the water supply increased but we need a written agreement with Scottish Water to ensure this is sustained every year.”
The Howietoun closure had reduced the water flow through to Swanswater. Howietoun was upstream and the water came downstream to Swanswater naturally, therefore no formal agreement had been required.
Stephen said: “This is a perfect example of a wellrun local business supplying a quality product, Now the immediate issue relating to water supply has been resolved we need to make sure the fishery can rely on Scottish Water to ensure a regular, adequate flow is maintained. I will be pursuing this with Scottish Water so a formal arrangement exists that removes the uncertainty.”