‘Phoenix’ bird hide rises from the ashes at Loch Leven

THE “Phoenix” birdwatching hide at Loch Leven national nature reserve (NNR) was opened officially on Friday.

Mike Cantlay, chair of Nature Scot, the Scottish Government agency formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage, was joined by reserve manager Neil Mitchell and Kinross Beaver Scouts for the event.

The previous hide burned down last year, sparking outrage.

A crowdfunding campaign to rebuild the hide raised almost £30,000 and the rest of the cost was funded by NatureScot, which manages much of the NNR.

Cantlay, a former chair of national tourism marketing body VisitScotland, said: “To see the new Phoenix hide rise from the ashes has been wonderful, and it just would not have been possible without the incredible efforts of the local community, businesses and the wider public.

“We want to thank each and every one for making this possible.

“The level of support has been truly heart-warming and demonstrates the importance of this special place for nature for the local community and beyond.

“As Scotland’s nature agency, our aim is to inspire many more people to value our natural world and I know that this beautiful new hide will play a vital role in doing that for generations to come.”

Mitchell added: “When the Mill hide was destroyed last year, we were all absolutely devastated.

“After the fire, what really came through was what a much-loved place it was for people near and far to come and connect with nature.

“We were determined to do all that we could to rebuild the hide and can’t express how grateful we are to the local community, businesses and visitors who contributed so generously to making it happen.

“The new building looks wonderful and I’m sure staff and locals alike are all looking forward to having this special place back again.

“If you’re visiting in the next few months, you can look out for lots of fluffy young ducklings snacking on the rich insect and plant life of the loch, mute swans raising their cygnets, while herons, kingfishers and osprey can all be seen fishing too.”

Read more stories about Scotland’s amazing nature on Scottish Field’s wildlife pages.