The pink kite is without doubt one of the most strikingly stunning European birds of prey. Hunted to the brink of extinction within the nineteenth century, guests immediately can spot them alongside the Galloway Kite Path, a 24-mile round route round Loch Ken.
Purple kites had been extinct in Scotland for many years, having been exterminated by gamekeepers on the nice estates who wrongly believed they had been detrimental to the looking of recreation birds. Fortunately, since 1989, varied reintroduction packages have been efficiently carried out throughout the UK. In Galloway, releases started in 2001, and immediately, the species is a serious contributor to tourism within the area. The path affords a novel alternative to see these superb birds and to witness a few of the efforts that went into their reintroduction.
The path might be adopted by automobile or bike, and in the summertime, it may be prolonged for an extra 14 miles, deep into Galloway Forest Park. It may be adopted on foot, however the primary path does embrace some busy roads.
Though a whole tour of the path is extremely inspired, many guests are happy with simply stopping by the feeding station at Laurieston, the place on daily basis at 2 p.m., as many as 100 kites interact in an thrilling feeding frenzy. It is not mandatory to keep up the inhabitants, however it permits guests to get near the birds, elevating consciousness and creating an surroundings by which political assist for the reintroduction program might be sustained.
Among the many many different highlights of the path are the “Secret Cages” deep within the Galloway Forest Park, from which the primary releases had been made. Now not in use, the design of those constructions ensured that whereas chicks obtained meals, they may not see the people who had been offering it.
