Rescobie Loch

Rescobie Loch lies four kilometres east of Forfar in Angus, a freshwater body formed after the last ice age. The loch receives water from the Lunan Water on its western side and releases it to the east. Its name may come from the Gaelic for ‘wood of splinters or thorns’. The loch once held Rescobie Castle, now vanished, where King Donald III of Scotland was held and blinded in 1097. He died two years later and was buried first at Dunkeld Cathedral before being taken to Iona. The loch’s past importance far outweighed its quiet present. Rescobie Loch and its neighbour Balgavies Loch form a protected site of special scientific interest. The area supports a wide range of wildlife and plants in a diverse habitat. Fly fishing is the only method allowed, with anglers casting from the banks or boats. The loch is regularly stocked with rainbow and brown trout by the Rescobie Loch Development Association, set up in the early 1960s. The water remains clear and calm, ideal for patient anglers. No motorised craft or other disturbance is permitted. Visitors walk a quiet shoreline path that circles the loch. Reed beds and wetland plants line the margins, sheltering waterfowl and waders. The flat landscape stretches into farmland and distant hills. On still days the loch reflects the sky and surrounding trees. There are no buildings on the water, only a small boat slip for fishing craft. The air carries the scent of damp earth and wildflowers in summer. Few people come, making it a place for quiet observation and gentle recreation.