Castle Loch Lochmaben Community Trust

Looking after Castle Loch, Lochmaben for the Community, Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation SC044045
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  • View towards Lochmaben

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  • Volunteers ready to plant hedging

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  • Wood anemone on a Spring day

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  • Volunteers hard at work

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  • Making bird boxes

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    View towards Lochmaben

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    Volunteers ready to plant hedging

  • wood anenome

    Wood anemone on a Spring day

  • Wild cat

    Lochfield Cottage

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    Volunteers hard at work

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    Making bird boxes

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Updates:

AGM – The Castle Loch Lochmaben Community Trust AGM will be taking place on Tuesday 27th March at 7.30pm in the Church Hall, Princes Street, Lochmaben and is open to all supporters and Trust members. Agenda: Progress reports, Election of Management Board, Short talk by Abi Carroll from the Restoring Annan Water project, Followed by refreshments. We look forward to seeing you there.

Tesco Bag of Help Funding – A big thank you to all of you who voted at the local Tesco’s in the Tesco Bags of Help contest. You helped us win £7,000 for maintaining the paths and creation of learning facilities. Bags of Help offers community groups and projects in each of Tesco’s regions across the UK a share of revenue generated from the 5p charge levied on single-use carrier bags.

Dogs: Just a gentle reminder to please pick up after your dogs. Recently the children’s forest school areas have had a lot of dog mess left, including on the actual log seats. These areas are used regularly by the local nursery and school children. There are numerous bins around the site, car parks, lay-bys and Lochfield Cottage, with the longest stretch without a bin around the grassland, but it isn’t that far. Thank you for your help with this.

Paths and Access update – posted 21 March 2018: All paths, boardwalk and fishing piers are accessible, but harder going for buggies, mobility scooters and outdoor wheelchairs. The volunteers continue to patch the paths and tracks as required, plus there is now a wedge for keeping open the swing gate out on to the castle drive (this was requested to help those pushing buggies).

We’ve put in a loch side marker near Lochfield Cottage which shows if the water level will be covering the castle approach boardwalk, which saves you walking 1.5 miles and then having to turn back! There are accessible viewing platforms at the loch side car park on the Lockerbie road side and 4th lay-by along the Dalton road side. Lochfield Cottage now has an access ramp.

Volunteering activities:  1st Saturday and 3rd Thursday each month, also helpers during summer weekend afternoons to help staff the pop-up visitor centre at the loch side cottage. No volunteering on 3rd March due to snows.

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Winner of the Third Sector D&G VOSCARS – Environmental and the overall Volunteer Involving Organisation 2017

Winner of RSPB Nature of Scotland Community Initiative 2015

Winner of DG Life ‘People of the Year’ Award 2014

Welcome to Castle Loch, the largest and shallowest of the lochs in Lochmaben, Dumfries & Galloway, located between Lockerbie and Dumfries on the A709 (DG11 1LP / NY 085815). The site is one of the earliest Local Nature Reserves (LNR) and also a site of national and international importance for its birdlife with a whole list of designations, including Site of Scientific Interest, Ramsar Site and Special Protected Area. The loch is a fine location to visit at any time of the year, offering fine opportunities to see bird and wildlife, take walk, fish or take to the waters under sail. The site offers the chance to see breeding Willow Tit at their northern reaches, however it comes into its own during the winter season with the migration of Pink-footed Geese from Iceland and Greenland, along with Greylag Geese and Goosanders.

 

The ruins of Lochmaben Castle are found on promontory at the south end of the loch and offer an added attraction to experience first-hand the important historical connections of the area. The castle is a former stronghold of the Bruce family and is reckoned to be the best example of an Edwardian (Edward I, the Hammer of the Scots) Peel left in Scotland.

 

In 2013 the Castle Loch was put up for sale. The Castle Loch Advisory Committee provided the basis of a local Community Trust whose aim was to purchase the Castle Loch and its environs for the Community. The steering committee successfully raised the funds needed and Castle Loch Lochmaben Community Trust (CLLCT) took ownership of the site in January 2014.

 

Other recreational facilities located on the edge of the loch are the beautiful Victory Park, a bowling green and all weather tennis courts. There is an attractive path round most of the loch, which passes Lochmaben Castle and a Bird Hide, returning to the town on a quiet lane with fine views over the water and hills. Numerous fishing piers are found along the Lochmaben to Dalton road side of the loch, while a gently sloping path down to the lochside fishing pier, enabling wheelchair users to fish at the loch, is at the A709 car park. Annandale Sailing Club is a small friendly club and the loch can provide both sheltered waters for the nervous beginner or an interesting test for those who appreciate the subtleties of inland racing. Please note that the only motorised craft allowed on the loch are those of the Sailing Club rescue boats and Water Bailiff.

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Castle Loch Lochmaben Community Trust
Castle Loch Lochmaben Community Trust

A couple of pics from today’s filming with Kate Walby and cameraman Steve Little from ITV News Lookaround. Thanks to all the volunteers and Jaybees Childcare Ltd for making them so welcome and putting in a sterling performance. It should be airing early next week - will let you know once I have the details. Darren Flint ... See MoreSee Less

5 days ago  ·  

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Castle Loch Lochmaben Community Trust
Castle Loch Lochmaben Community Trust

We have Kate Walby from ITV's Lookaround visiting the loch today to do some filming with the volunteers and children from Jaybees Childcare Ltd. Not sure when it is broadcasting - I'll keep you posted. Better sign off now and go and do my hair for the cameras! Darren ... See MoreSee Less

5 days ago  ·  

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Castle Loch Twitter

  • Weather looking ok for tomorrow's 'Walk the Loch. Raise funds with a walk and refreshments. Meet Lochfield Cottage https://t.co/vEmwLJAkwD
    October 6, 2017
  • Don't forget tomorrow's walk the loch event at Castle Loch. Rain should clear mid morning. Refreshments at cottage. https://t.co/pieqknvNjH
    October 6, 2017
  • A matchbox (no idea what the collective is) of swans at @castle_loch tonight. https://t.co/FbJaccingD
    July 3, 2017

Copyright Castle Loch Lochmaben Community Trust 2013