The Neilston Men's Group recently visited Lochwinnoch Rspb Nature Reserve, one of the few wetlands left in the West of Scotland, and had an enjoyable time. The group met at the reserve's visitor centre, where they were greeted by friendly rangers who gave us a brief overview of the reserve, the trails and what we were likely to see as we wandered around.

We then enjoyed a leisurely walk around the reserve as far as the new boardwalk and along to the ruins of the Peel Tower on Castle Semple Loch. One of us was in a wheelchair and we had no problem getting him along the trail and boardwalk. The trail stops at the Peel Tower but the rangers said that, funds permitting, they would like to extend it further and join up with the trail on the other side of Aird Meadow Loch, which would make it more of a circular walk.

There weren’t many waterfowl around, probably due to the time of year, but we did see a Mute Swan and what looked like a pair of Great Crested Grebes farther out on the loch. The surrounding trees, on the other hand, were pretty busy with birdlife and, even if we couldn’t see them, we could hear them well enough. Using a mobile app called BirdNET Sound ID, we identified a few of them as a  Eurasian Wren, a Willow Warbler, and a Eurasian Blackcap.

The Peel Tower, sometimes called the Peel of Castle Semple or even "Defender of the Faith", was a fortified tower house built shortly before 1560 by the local Semple family, during the troubled times of the Scottish Reformation, to protect their land and property from raiders and as an impregnable retreat. It was originally built on a rocky islet in Castle Semple Loch but subsequent drainage programmes have left an embankment that now connects it to the shore.


There's not a lot to see from the boardwalk other than some musket ports and there's no easy way for anyone to clamber over to it and there are warning signs not to leave the boardwalk. Anyway, there was no way we were getting Billy's wheelchair over there and there was a big black Carrion Crow bobbing around, probably hoping someone would try it.

 

After a bit of standing around enjoying the pleasant weather and surroundings, we returned to the visitor centre picnic area for a tasty, à la big box that Raymond brought, salad roll lunch supplemented by teas and coffees from the visitor centre. There were even doughnuts and a cheeky Jackdaw and some wee Sparrows trying to cadge a few crumbs, although I suspect in case of the Jackdaw, a finger would have been more appreciated.

We really enjoyed the visit to Lochwinnoch RSPB Nature Reserve and had a good time wandering along the trail. We would definitely recommend it to other groups or individuals who are looking for a fun and educational day out.

Castle Semple Loch

• The reserve is located in Renfrewshire, Scotland and is easily accessible by car or train.
  
• It’s open all year round and admission is free, although there is a charge for parking.
• During the Spring, you might see the Great Crested Grebes courting and in Winter you’ll likely see Whooper Swans, Wigeon and a wide variety of ducks and other waterfowl.
• The visitor centre has toilets, a picnic area,  kids play area, and a shop that also sells light refreshments.
• There are a variety of nature trails to choose from, including a wheelchair-accessible trail.

For more information, please visit the RSPB website:

• https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/lochwinnoch/