April





The most beautiful springs, are those that come after the most horrible winters!

Mehmet Murat ildan
April has seen a really slow start to, well everything. Spring has only just started to get going, and this has been reflected in the fishing season. Even when fishermen do appear, they complain bitterly that they aren't catching anything, hopefully the early May Bank holiday will ring the changes - we'll see.

Often, when we transit the Lochside, we do meet some opposition to paying for a fishing permit. The most recent one involved a discussion with an individual who believed that because the LRCA do not stock the Loch, we cannot therefore charge for a permit - it helps to have the relevant Act and its sections on the tip of your tongue, (Scottish Freshwater Fisheries Act 2003, Section 48), but I'm starting to think we might want to opt for more drastic measures
"You might want to rethink that refusal to buy a permit"
If like me you mark the onset of Spring and Summer by the wildlife you spot, then, by that token things are not as bad as they might at first seem. My first Cuckoo was on the 21st of April, 2 weeks earlier than last year,

and I'm reliably informed that the Ospreys are back, although I've yet to tick those off my list, this year.
Frogs and Toads have been on the go, and if you see me stopped in the road, don't worry, I'm just helping them to get to the other side of the road, so that they can continue their journey onward in safety.
There is a charity in Scotland called "Keep Scotland Beautiful". https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/
Who have a stated aim of delivering Sustainable Development Education, usually to schools. Over the period 12th of May to the 20th of May 2018 they are promoting a Roadside Litter Campaign, using the by line, Give your litter a lift, take it home.
The twitterfeed above says it all - how irritating is it when you travel around our roads and see discarded Costa coffee cups and other fast food debris, clearly tossed out of a car window by unthinking motorists. We've signed up to the campaign, so look out for some of the posters on a lamppost near you shortly.

This month we were tweeting.....
Between the 11th and 26th of May, you will see small groups of back packers, (usually of a certain vintage, but I only whisper that very quietly), walking West to East on both sides of Loch Rannoch. If you were wondering, these are TGO Challengers, (The Great Outdoors Magazine). This regular event is a very personal challenge, backed up with safety support from the magazine, where individuals traverse Scotland from the West coast to the East Coast. You can use any route you choose, mixing high and low level terrain, and you can also stay in hotels and bed and breakfast establishments with the TGO team simply offering advice and guidance, and some back up support in terms of a safety net, if you are overdue checking in at set times along the way. 

I always make a point of talking to them as they pass my front gates, and we often have a chat over a cup of tea, You can find out more here: TGO Challenge

This is a novel one, the Woodland Trust's "Bluebell Watch", Woodland Trust - Bluebell Watch

Scottish Natural Heritage's latest newletter urges you to "Get Active Outdoors", and to "Think of Scotland’s outdoors as an open-air gym that’s free to use, open 24/7 and right on your doorstep", can't argue with that, and you can find out more here: SNH - Get Active Outdoors

Become a Friend of Rannoch
If you are interested in keeping in touch with our wonderful area, supporting the work that we do, or just want to show your support, you can do so by signing up to our "Friends of Rannoch" scheme. It only takes a moment, and won't cost you a penny. You can find out more here:

Friends of Rannoch




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