Loch of Aboyne

Loch of Aboyne is an artificial freshwater loch in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It lies two kilometres northeast of Aboyne and forty-five kilometres west-southwest of Aberdeen. An earthen dam built around 1834 originally held back the water to supply a nearby mill. The loch was surveyed in 1905 by T.N. Johnston and L.W. Collett for Sir John Murray’s national mapping project. Its shallow basin and surrounding reedbeds create a quiet wetland in the Grampian foothills. The site was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1984 for its aquatic plants and animals. Eight kinds of pondweed grow beneath the surface, and the loch supports many leeches, pond snails and waterfowl. Passage and wintering birds such as wigeon, goosander and whooper swans visit regularly. Ospreys are often seen diving for fish, and the area is also important for butterflies. On the north shore stands Aboyne Golf Club, while the Aboyne Loch Caravan Park occupies a peninsula reaching into the water. In winter the loch freezes and curling takes place, with evidence of an old curling railway station still visible. The Aberdeen Waterski and Wakeboard Club uses the loch in warmer months, and The Lodge on the Loch health spa overlooks the water from the same shore.