Galloway Kite Trail

The red kite is one of the most strikingly beautiful European birds of prey. Hunted to the brink of extinction in the 19th century, visitors today can spot them along the Galloway Kite Trail, a 24-mile circular route around Loch Ken.

Red kites were extinct in Scotland for decades, having been exterminated by gamekeepers on the great estates who wrongly believed they were detrimental to the hunting of game birds. Thankfully, since 1989, various reintroduction programs have been successfully carried out across the UK. In Galloway, releases began in 2001, and today, the species is a major contributor to tourism in the region. The trail offers a unique opportunity to see these amazing birds and to witness some of the efforts that went into their reintroduction.

The trail can be followed by car or bike, and in the summer, it can be extended for an additional 14 miles, deep into Galloway Forest Park. It can be followed on foot, but the main trail does include some busy roads.

Although a complete tour of the trail is highly encouraged, many visitors are satisfied with just stopping by the feeding station at Laurieston, where every day at 2 p.m., as many as 100 kites engage in an exciting feeding frenzy. It isn't necessary to maintain the population, but it allows visitors to get close to the birds, raising awareness and creating an environment in which political support for the reintroduction program can be sustained. 

Among the many other highlights of the trail are the "Secret Cages" deep in the Galloway Forest Park, from which the first releases were made. No longer in use, the design of these structures ensured that while chicks received food, they could not see the humans who were providing it.