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Loch sports could be discouraged to aid rare bird

Cameron Angus-Mackay
BBC Scotland News
Getty Images A colourful Slavonian Grebe on the water with its distinctive red eye and orange and black plumageGetty Images
The grebes stay on the loch throughout the breeding season, nesting in reeds at the water's edge

Water sports enthusiasts could be asked not to use part of a Scottish loch under proposals to protect a rare species of bird.

They could be discouraged from using the east end of Loch Ruthven - near Farr, south of Inverness - between March and August to help boost Slavonian Grebe numbers.

A significant rise in the likes of canoeing, paddleboarding and swimming has led to more bird disturbances, according to RSPB Scotland which manages the site.

Highland Council is asking for feedback on planned guidance aimed at strengthening the bird population.

Declining numbers

The entire UK population of breeding Slavonian Grebes is found within 30 miles (50km) of Inverness.

Numbers peaked at between 70 and 80 breeding pairs in the early 1990s.

However, pairs at Loch Ruthven fell from a long-term average of 13 to just three last year.

The birds swim to find food, but noise or movement can disturb them, block nests, or separate adults from their young.

A group of five paddleboarders on a loch in Scotland. The sun is glistening on the surface of the water. There are hills and trees in the background.
The RSPB says water sport activity on Loch Ruthven has increased significantly since 2020

RSPB Scotland controls access to the loch and, since 2021, the charity has employed rangers to monitor bird sightings and incidents of disturbance.

It hopes guidance to reduce noise and movement could support more successful breeding seasons.

Highland Council said the guidance being proposed would be advisory but stressed it was already illegal under the Wildlife and Countryside (Scotland) Act 1981 to intentionally disturb the birds during breeding season.

The public consultation runs until 16 May.