A THREE-AND-A-HALF-MILE stretch of the Loch Leven Heritage Trail was officially opened by Sir David Montgomery this week.

He cut the ribbon in a ceremony at the Watchtower at Kirkgate Park.

The trail, which it is planned will eventually run the entire way around the 3400-acre loch, starts at The Pier, Kinross, and runs around the west shore to the Pow Burn in the north east.

The path passes in front of Kinross House, and crosses several small bridges on its way to Burleigh Sands. It then goes along the north shore past the former trout farm before ending at the Pow Burn.

En-route there are two bird hides to enable walkers to watch the variety of birds on the national nature reserve.

A “town loop” enables those using the path to access Kinross on a footway which runs alongside the golf course.

Work on the phase from Vane Farm and Findatie past Levenmouth and up the east shore of the loch to the Pow Burn will start later this year.

Councillor Willie Robertson introduced Sir David to an audience which included walkers, cyclists, wheelchair-users and local school pupils.

The work has been carried out under the auspices of TRACKS, the Rural Access Committee of Kinross-shire, with member Neil Kilpatrick co-ordinating the work.

Mr Kilpatrick thanked Sir David and his family who, through the Kinross Estate Company, had given the land on which the first phase of the path has been completed. He said the interpretive plaques had to be completed, and finishing work carried out on some of the bridges. But thanks to last-minute efforts, the path was complete around to the Pow Burn.

Sir David urged those who use the path to take their litter home with them.