Outdoor access

Local Access Guidance

Exploring without disturbing wildlife - the Scottish Outdoor Access Code

Find free advice on recreational access rights, how to follow the code to support wildlife conservation, and guidance for land managers. You can also download guides to help you avoid disturbing wildlife, for example, whilst taking pictures or operating drones.

Sometimes, specific advice is necessary to protect public health or nature conservation.

Scottish Outdoor Access Code website

Consultation on Local Guidance for Watersports at Loch Ruthven Special Protection Area

Loch Ruthven is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its breeding Slavonian grebes. It is also designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site for the same reasons.

The entire UK population of breeding Slavonian grebes is usually found within 30 miles of Inverness. Numbers peaked at 70-80 breeding pairs in the early 1990s but fell to 15 pairs in 2023.

The breeding pairs at Loch Ruthven dropped from a long-term average of 13 to just 3 in 2024. More information on the designations can be found at SiteLink - Loch Ruthven SPA.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), managing Loch Ruthven, is concerned about increased recreation disturbing breeding Slavonian grebes. Since 2020, there has been a significant rise in paddle-boarders, canoeists, and swimmers, leading to more disturbances of the birds.

The grebes remain on the loch throughout the breeding season, nesting in reeds at the water's edge. They swim to find food, but noise or movement from people can disturb them, block their nests, or separate adults from their young. Surveys have shown that the birds avoid areas of the loch where people are present.

In 2023, NatureScot assessed the site condition of Slavonian grebes at Loch Ruthven SPA, changing their status from "Favourable Maintained" to "Unfavourable Declining," citing increased recreation as a reason.

With support from NatureScot and the Local Access Forum, the RSPB seeks to develop local guidance advising visitors to refrain from canoeing, paddle-boarding, or swimming at the east end of Loch Ruthven from 1 March to 31 August. This aims to meet conservation objectives and reduce disturbances.

National guidance on Managing public access in sensitive wildlife areas in Scotland and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code supports such guidance if other methods to prevent disturbance have been exhausted and agreed upon.

Over the years, the RSPB has controlled access to the loch and provided information on avoiding disturbance to the birds. Since 2021, they have employed rangers and enlisted volunteers to educate the public on responsible behaviour. They have also monitored bird sightings and incidents of disturbance.

Local guidance should emerge from consensus among the community, land managers, the access authority (The Highland Council), governing bodies of sports, local clubs, activity providers, and users.

The guidance is advisory, but ignoring it may mean acting irresponsibly as required by the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Furthermore, it is illegal under the Wildlife and Countryside (Scotland) Act 1981 to intentionally disturb these birds during the breeding season, which runs from 1 March to 31 August.

Take part in the consultation

Loch Ruthven Consultation Online Survey

See our Privacy Notice on the Consultation on Agreed Local Guidance.