Kinross
town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, UK
Kinross is a small town in Perth and Kinross, 13 miles south of Perth. With a population of 5650 in 2021, it stands on the shores of Loch Leven, with the scarp of the Lomond Hills looming to the east and a mysterious giant golf ball to the west. The reason to visit is to take the boat across the loch to the island castle, where Mary Queen of Scots was held captive but escaped. Another island in the loch may be the place where Macbeth's theatrical fate was first written down.
Understand
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The Lomond Hills are volcanic crags that force the route from the Fife coast (nowadays the M90) to pass this way before crossing the Ochil hills towards Perth. Kinross thus grew up as a market town in a fertile lowland plain. From 1890 it was the county town of the small county of Kinross-shire. In 1927 the county council adopted the sturdy slogan “For all time”, which turned out to mean until 1930 when the county was amalgamated with Perthshire.
There isn't a physical tourist information centre, but see Visit Loch Leven online.
Get in
edit1 Junction 6 of M90 is the transport hub for Kinross. West side is a service area and hotel, and A971 heads west to join A911 towards Stirling. East side is a Park & Ride with 126 spaces, and an inter-city bus stop.
Citylink Bus M90 / M92 runs every 30 min from Edinburgh, taking 50 min via Halbeath P&R (for Dunfermline) and continuing to Broxden P&R on the edge of Perth. From Broxden they fan out to Perth town centre, or to Pitlochry, Aviemore and Inverness, or to Dundee and Aberdeen.
Stagecoach Bus X56 runs hourly from Edinburgh via Halbeath P&R and Kelty to Kinross P&R, Kinross town centre (by Green Hotel), Milnathort and Bridge of Earn, and Perth town centre near the railway station.
Ember Electric Bus also glides hourly from Edinburgh via Kinross P&R to Dundee. Megabus doesn't stop here, but their website offers Citylink services.
Get around
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Map of Kinross
From the P&R to town centre and on to the boat pier is only a mile. You'll need a car to get round the loch, for instance to climb The Bishop.
See
edit- Loch Leven is the shallow freshwater lake east side of town: it may be the crater of a meteor impact. It’s triangular, 4 miles long by 1½ miles wide, and is drained from its southeast tip by the River Leven, which flows east to the coast at Leven. In the early 19th century the upper river was canalised, the surrounding wetland drained for farming, and the level of the loch dropped by almost 5 feet. So its islands enlarged while new ones appeared. Much wetland remains, and the islands provide safe nesting for both resident and migratory birds, such as pink-footed geese in their thousands. The area is therefore a National Nature Reserve (NNR) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
- 1 Loch Leven Castle, Kinross KY13 8UF (10 min ferry from Kinross pier), ☏ +44 7836 313769. Apr-Oct daily 10AM-4PM. Mary Stuart was only six days old when in 1542 her father James V died, and she became Queen of Scotland. At first, regents ruled the country while she lived mostly in France. Her husbands were short-lived: first Francis II of France, then Lord Darnley; Mary promptly married Bothwell who was suspected of Darnley's murder. In 1567 the pair of them were overthrown, and Mary was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle and forced to abdicate. She made several attempts to escape and succeeded in 1568: the scene of her being rowed away has graced innumerable historical romances. She made her way to England thinking her cousin Queen Elizabeth would protect her — big mistake. The castle was built around 1300 and took up almost all of what was then a much smaller island, and an early visitor under duress was King Alexander III. In the 17th century it ceased to be a residence and fell derelict. It's now in the keeping of Historic Environment Scotland. You can stroll the peaceful woodlands while awaiting the return ferry. This only has capacity for 12, so on summer weekends best book your visit. Adult £10, conc £9, child £6, HS free.
- 2 St Serfs Inch is the largest island in the loch. You'll probably just admire it through binoculars as there are no regular boat trips. Its ruined Augustinian monastery or priory is 12th century but stands on the site of a much older Culdee foundation. Macbeth’s theatrical fate may have been first written here, as its canon Andrew of Wyntoun related the witches’ prophecies in the Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland. This was written circa 1420 and Shakespeare drew on this source. Wyntoun also described Robin Hood, who first appeared in legend in the 13th century.
- 3 Burleigh Castle, Burleigh Rd, Milnathort KY13 9GG. Apr-Sep: M Tu Th F and first Sa Su of month 9:30AM-5PM. 15th-century tower house. The exterior grounds are always accessible. No parking here, park in Milnathort and walk up.
- 4 Orwell Standing Stones are in a field by A911, one 7 ft tall the other 9½ ft. Prehistoric burial remains were found beneath them and in the nearby fields. There's nowhere to park on the busy narrow main road but you may be able to pull onto the grassy verge.
- 5 RSPB Loch Leven has bird hides, always open. The visitor centre is open daily 10AM-5PM, cafe to 4PM. The area is free but the car park costs £3.
- 6 Scotlandwell has been a spa and pilgrimage site since Roman times for its spring bubbling out of the hillside. Robert the Bruce is said to have been cured of leprosy here. By the 19th century it was “an almost unapproachable slough of mire and filth" but village and well were refurbished in the 1850s and again in modern times.
- 7 The golf ball west of town is the radar dome of a former Ministry of Defence (MOD) communications base, containing a large dish antenna. Balado Bridge was an RAF airfield 1942-57 then from 1985 to 2006 was a Satcom II Satellite Ground Listening Station. From 1997 to 2014 the nearby fields hosted “T in the Park” music festival, which then moved to Strathallan Castle then folded. The airfield’s hard standing nowadays supports a fine array of chicken sheds. The MOD sold the site in 2007; in the years since it's been back on the market with an asking price of £1 million. The main blockhouse is claimed to be proof against chemical and nuclear attack and chickens. No public access to the site but you see enough from the road.
- 8 Tullibole Castle off A977 is a 17th-century tower house, and nowadays a posh event venue.
Do
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- Loch Leven Heritage Trail circles the loch. It's firm going and barrier free — 13 miles to go round, so maybe one to cycle rather than walk.
- The Bishop is the scarp of the Lomond Hills that rises steeply east of the loch. The best path starts opposite Portmoak Church 400 yards north of Scotlandwell. There are various rock formations, the most striking being the 30-foot Carlin Maggie, said to be a petrified witch.
- Glenfarg Folk Club meet every Monday night at 8PM in the back of the Green Hotel, see "Sleep".
- 1 Kirkgate Park has shoreline walks, a children's play area, grass amphitheatre and wildflower labyrinth.
- Kinross Golf Club is east side of the village, access by the lane opposite Green Hotel. They have two 18-hole courses.
- 2 Milnathort Golf Club (Burleigh GC), South St, Milnathort KY13 9AX, ☏ +44 1577 864069. 9 hole golf course, the clubhouse has a bar and restaurant. 18 holes £30.
- 3 Scottish Gliding Centre, Portmoak Airfield KY13 9JJ (off B920), ☏ +44 1592 840543. Gliding for beginners and the experienced, launching by winch or tug plane to soar over the ridges.
- Paragliders also launch off the steep Bishop hill.
Buy
edit- Sainsbury's, 65 Station Rd KY13 8FH (at P&R), ☏ +44 1577 885000. Daily 8AM-10PM. Large supermarket, doesn't have a filling station, but there are charging points in the P&R.
- Caulders Garden Centre, Turfhills KY13 0NQ (next to M90 service station), ☏ +44 1577 863327. Daily 9AM-5:30PM. Garden centre with cafe.
Eat
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- Budget eats in town centre are Reminisce (Tu-Su 9AM-4PM), La Casanova (Th-M 4-9PM), Raj Mahal (daily 5-10PM) and Unorthodox Roasters (daily 9:30AM-5PM).
- 1 Muirs Inn, 49 Muirs KY13 8AU, ☏ +44 1577 862270. Inn opened in the 1800s with restaurant, bar and four guest bedrooms.
- 2 Grouse and Claret, Heatheryford KY13 0NQ, ☏ +44 1577 864212. Su W Th noon-5PM; F Sa noon-2PM, 7-9PM. Great little restaurant just west of town, whose name correctly intuits just what you were seeking. They also have accommodation in a detached 3-bedroom cottage, sleeps six.
- Milnathort has the Village Inn, open Su-Th 3-11PM, F Sa 3PM-midnight.
- Lochend Farm Shop, Scotlandwell KY13 9JQ (next to Gliding Centre), ☏ +44 1592 840745, office@lochendfarmshop.co.uk. Daily 9AM-5PM (Hot food served until 4PM). A quiet farm shop serving soups, hot rolls, paninis and cakes; eat in or take away.
Drink
edit- Loch Leven Brewery, The Muirs KY13 8AS (opposite Green Hotel), ☏ +44 1577 864881. Tap room Tu-Th 4-9PM, F 4-10PM, Sa noon-10PM, Su 2-8PM. Brews four different beers, with shop and tap room pub.
- Gin Laboratory behind Green Hotel shows you how it's made, then you mix your own bottle.
Sleep
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- Travelodge, Jcn 6 of M90, ☏ +44 871 984 6151. Efficient chain hotel within motorway service station. B&B double £90.
- 1 Gallowhill Camping and Caravan Park, Gallowhill Farm KY13 0RD, ☏ +44 1577 862364. Dog-friendly site open Apr-Oct, some gripes about noise, caravans packed too close together, and you need a supply of £1 coins for hot water. Tent £24, hook-up £32.
- 2 The Green Hotel, 2 The Muirs KY13 6AS, ☏ +44 1577 863467. 46 room hotel, established in the 18th century as a coaching inn, where the Queensferry to Perth stagecoach changed horses. Generally good, some decor tired. B&B double £150.
- Kirklands Hotel, 20 High St KY13 8AN (100 yards north of Salutation), ☏ +44 1577 863313. Value-for-money hotel with 8 rooms. B&B double £100.
- 3 Salutation Hotel, 99 High St KY13 8AA, ☏ +44 1577 865722. More like a pub with rooms. B&B double £80.
- 4 Kinross House is a grand 17th-century mansion just north of the park and ferry jetty. It's not a hotel but you can hire the lot for big events such as weddings, 24 rooms, sleeps 48. It's also possible to use the spa as a day visitor. Daniel Defoe the author of Robinson Crusoe sang its praises, though he obviously decided that the islands in the loch weren't quite the setting he was looking for.
- M90 junction 3, ten miles south on the edge of Dunfermline, has a cluster of accommodation and other amenities.
Connect
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As of April 2024, Kinross and its approach roads have 4G from Three and Vodafone, and 5G from EE and O2.
1 Loch Leven Community Library, Community Campus KY13 8FG, ☏ +44 1577 867205. M 10AM-1PM, Tu-F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-3PM. Library with WiFi and a public computer, printer and scanner.
Go next
edit- South to Dunfermline, birthplace of tycoon Andrew Carnegie, to see the abbey.
- West to the lyrically-named Yetts of Muckhart, which is just a road junction. Either continue west to scenic Dollar and eventually Stirling, or branch north through Glen Devon, one of the most attractive glens of Scotland, to descend the other side via Gleneagles.
- Falkland Palace is a few miles east of Kinross, see Glenrothes.
- Further east in Fife is the East Neuk with charming fishing villages such as Anstruther, and the highlight is classy St Andrews.
- North to Perth, an agreeable small city, with Scone Palace a few miles northeast.
| Routes through Kinross |
| Edinburgh ← Dunfermline ← | S  S |
→ Perth → Dundee/Inverness |
| Stirling ← Dollar ← | SW  NE |
→ junction  (Dundee) → St Andrews |