The Red Kite Trail
A circular tour to highlight the re-introduction of Red Kites to Galloway
The Red Kite is one of the most strikingly beautiful Eropean birds of prey. The Red Kite Trail is a fascinating 24 mile circular route around Loch Ken, in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, which can be followed by car or bike and, in summer, the route can be extended for a further 16 miles, deep into Galloway Forrest Park. It could be followed on foot but the main trail does include some busy roads.
Red Kites were extinct in Scotland for many years, having been exterminated by gamekeepers on the great estates who wrongly believed they were detrimental to the shooting. Various reintroduction programmes have been successfully carried out in the UK including the one in Galloway and the Red Kite is now a major contributor to tourism in the region. The trail gives the opportunity to see these amazing birds and to see something of the efforts that went into the reintroduction programme.
Whilst a full tour of the trail is highly recommended many tourist are content with a visit to the feeding station at Lauriston where an amazing display of feeding Kites is generated between 1pm and 4pm every day by the placing of supplementary food on tables and on the grass. Up to 100 birds become involved in a feeding frenzy. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds say that this feeding is not necessary to maintain the population but support it because it widens awareness of the birds, creating an environment in which political support for the reintroduction programme to be maintained. The food supplied is limited and can be seen as a brief snack for those birds that partake. In fact the majority of Red Kites in Galloway do not visit the feeding station.
Amongst the many other highlights of the trail are the “Secret Cages” deep in the Galloway forest from which the initial releases were made back in 2001. No longer in use, they were designed such that chicks could be provided with food without being able to see the humans that were feeding them.
Know Before You Go
Except for the feeding station all the trail is free of charge. The feeding station is run as a commercial venture and a charge of £7.50 applies.
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