Loch Kinord

Loch Kinord lies in Aberdeenshire, just north of the River Dee and five miles east of Ballater. It is a small freshwater loch formed from a glacial kettle hole and is also known as Loch Ceander or Loch Cannor. The loch sits within the Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve and is bordered to the north by Loch Davan. It stretches about a mile in length and contains several tree-covered islets. Birch trees grow along its shores, giving the loch a light, open feel. The loch is recognised for its rich plant and animal life. Its shallowness allows sunlight to reach the bottom, supporting water lobelia, quillwort and shoreweed. In summer, white water lilies bloom across the surface. Around the edge, reeds, sedges, horsetails and bulrushes grow, while a European beech forest lines parts of the shore. The water is home to pike and goldeneyes, and otters move along the banks. Migrating geese and other wildfowl visit, and cormorants nest on one of the islets. Visitors can walk a circular path around the loch, with spots for watching birds and wildlife. The route starts at Burn O’Vat car park on the road between Ballater and Aboyne. Nearby stands the Kinord Cross, a carved Pictish stone from the 9th century, now returned to its original site. An Iron Age crannog appears as a small wooded island, and traces of a medieval castle once stood on another islet. The Reverend John Grant Michie wrote a history of the loch in 1877, still available today.