Argaty Red Kites

Heritage attraction

Explorer Tom

At Argaty Red Kites near Doune, the sky has its own lunch queue, and the customers arrive with forked tails and no interest in table manners. I would claim I trained them myself, but the Bowsers at Lerrocks Farm might ask me to put down the imaginary whistle. Watch the real birds do the showing off. Red kites gathered here after birds were released on neighbouring estates in 1996. The farm records central Scotland's first kite chicks in more than a century in 1998, and began offering a modest daily feed as visitors came to watch. The birds still find their own food; that small helping lets people learn their story without turning a wild raptor into a pet. A ranger explains the comeback during the afternoon feeding visit. I shall keep my heroic account of saving Scotland's kites to myself. The main hide looks across the feeding ground and has windows low enough for wheelchair users. From the car park, the route climbs gently for about 350 metres; contact the team before booking if a lift would help. You can visit outside feeding time on the farm's honesty-box arrangement, while other wildlife activities need advance booking. Let the kites decide whether to give you a close pass. Argaty is a working farm at Lerrocks, so follow the visitor directions rather than wandering through its private yard. Check the booking page for the day's feeding time and any farm closure; advance booking is advised when busy. Leaded dogs can join the kite feeding visit, though not the woodland or photography hides. If a kite circles overhead, resist telling everyone it saluted you.

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More pictures of this place

Red Kite - Milvus milvus, Argaty, Doune, Perthshire, Scotland · Photo: Judy Gallagher · BY 2.0

What is recorded here

Map note: Look up Argaty Red Kites, a heritage attraction near Argaty, Stirling, Scotland. The name caught our eye; the map shows what else is nearby.

From OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) n4388875795