Loch Rusky

Loch Rusky is a small freshwater loch near Callander in the Stirling council area of the Scottish Highlands. It lies in the Registration County of Perthshire, to the east of the Menteith Hills, about six kilometres northeast of the Port of Menteith. The Torrie Forest extends over Lennieston Muir to the east of the loch. Its name comes from the Gaelic Loch an Rusgaidh, meaning ‘Lake of the Shearing’ or ‘Lake of the Turf or Peat’. The water is calm and surrounded by gentle slopes and woodland. The loch is well known for its good stock of rainbow and brown trout, with the occasional small wild brown trout. Since the 1960s it has been a trout fishery, managed by the Heriot Angling Parent Club, where fishing is allowed only from a boat using flies. There are no pike or perch in the loch, making it a reliable spot for anglers. Wildlife around the loch includes a returning pair of breeding ospreys, mink, otters, herons, woodpeckers and many other wild birds. Visitors find a peaceful setting with clear water and open banks for watching wildlife. The surrounding woodland and hills provide quiet paths for walking. Ospreys can often be seen fishing over the loch in summer. Otters and herons move along the shoreline, especially at dawn and dusk. The Torrie Forest offers shaded routes among Scots pine and birch. The loch’s calm waters reflect the hills, creating a quiet place to pause.