Inchconnachan
Encyclopedia
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The 1920s wooden bungalow near to the narrows was the holiday home of Lady Arran Colquhoun.
Capercaillie
Capercaillie
The Western Capercaillie , also known as the Wood Grouse, Heather Cock or Capercaillie , is the largest member of the grouse family, reaching over 100 cm in length and 6.7 kg in weight. The largest one ever recorded in captivity had a weight of 7.2 kg....
nest here.
Wallabies
Wallaby
A wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...
, of the species Macropus rufogriseus (Red-necked Wallaby
Red-necked Wallaby
The Red-necked Wallaby is a medium-sized marsupial macropod, common in the more temperate and fertile parts of eastern Australia, including Tasmania.- Description :...
), were introduced by Lady Colquhoun, and still roam wild. It is one of the very few places outside Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
which has a viable population of wallabies.
More recently, there has been great controversy over them, and it has been suggested that they should be culled, or eradicated, as they supposedly threaten the capercaillie
Capercaillie
The Western Capercaillie , also known as the Wood Grouse, Heather Cock or Capercaillie , is the largest member of the grouse family, reaching over 100 cm in length and 6.7 kg in weight. The largest one ever recorded in captivity had a weight of 7.2 kg....
population. The cull has proven controversial, as some tourists visit the area specifically to see them, and because some animal rights activists consider it cruel. Iain Sheves, factor for Luss Estates, has said,
- "If it comes down a decision between rare native species, which are perhaps better served by being on an island because of predation issues, and a non indigenous population of creatures which shouldn’t really be there then we’ve got to go with the native species every time.
- "I would hope that people come to Scotland to see native wildlife and habitats rather than a quirk of history.
- "Ultimately, we all have a responsibility to try and promote and protect our native wildlife. To disregard that in order to maintain a tourist oddity is not the right thing to do."
External links
- http://www.lochlomond-islands.com/
- article which mentions it
- Inchconnachan 2009