‘Selfish’ paddlers spark fears for wildlife

A nature group says birds of prey at a Perthshire loch are being disturbed by “selfish” people taking part in watersports.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is asking visitors to ensure that they are acting responsibly.

It comes after several people accessed Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve on Thursday using paddleboards and a canoe.

Loch of the Lowes is home to breeding ospreys – a protected species which is known to be easily frightened.

They have been breeding at the reserve for more than 50 years.

Emma Castle-smith, visitor centre assistant manager at the loch, said: “The warning signs are there to protect wildlife.

“As well as ospreys, there is a wide range of other species that come to Lowes to breed such as great crested grebes, and disturbing them at this critical time of year can massively affect their chances of breeding success.

“Choosing to ignore these warning signs also ruins the responsible wildlife watching experience that thousands of people come here to enjoy each year.”

Rab Potter, trust reserves manager, said: “The Scottish Outdoor Access Code makes it clear a person must not cause intentional disturbance to birds and other animals when accessing land or water. It’s clear that some selfish individuals are not acting responsibly.”

Loch of the Lowes.