We need Friends to help with running the Trust. Please help even if you can only give a little of your time. It all makes a difference.
Craigencalt and
Kinghorn Loch
offers water sports and recreational & environmental
experiences - at your leisure.
2024 Annual Photo Comp winner
The picture of "Puffins on Inchkeith - Not Talking", by Ian Archibald (see News page) is of two of the colony of puffins established on Inchkeith. Inchkeith is a large island in the Firth of Forth, within the parish of Kinghorn. It is renowned for its fortifications over a long period from Napoleonic to WWII times and its huge population of harbour and grey seals. This is a reminder of the prolific wildlife of the area and superb winner of the 2024 Photo Competition which attracted 44 entries from Friends, and voted for by the Friends of CRCT. The result was announced at the Annual BBQ held on Friday 23rd August. The standard of entries was, as always, extremely high and the divergence of subject matter made voting quite a challenge!
See the Gallery page for access to all the entries.
See the Friends page for information on the timetable and rules of this Annual event.
So why not get snapping for 2025. The deadline for entries is mid August. You can submit up to three photos, either to info@craigencalttrust.org.uk or by hand or post for paper prints.
Everyone will love your photos so be brave, let's have them!
Annual Friends BBQ for 2024.
The 2024 annual BBQ was held at Craigencalt Cottage on Friday, 23rd August and it was a good turnout. The weather was very kind to us, given the poor summer we have had, and mild enough to sit out and enjoy the country air. Ron's curries were well appreciated, together with Marilyn's quiches and chef-de-BBQ, Gareth. A great time was had by all. Look forward to keeping a BBQ date next year.
Recreation, Education and Exercise
for the whole family
Live and enjoy, out on your own, with family or through a sports club
Watersports in the countryside
Fun
exercise
Loch and woodland
A varied and healthy daily excursion
Kinghorn Loch is agreed as being a wildlife protection area. This is its primary purpose. Water sports use the loch in such a way that wildlife is not unreasonably disturbed and nesting is protected. Water sports use by clubs, interests and groups is timetabled to courteously respect other users and to allow wildlife plenty of "rest-time". Individual members of the public are able to use the loch in a responsible manner. Access to certain areas of the loch is restricted to protect wildlife as shown on the attached poster.
Press picture to see poster.New
Path Building and Maintenance.
A Safe and Accessible Loch.
The Trust is committed to improving access to the countryside through a system of paths, both new constructs and improvements to existing paths. We have developed a "Link Path Strategy" to deliver the path network.
The Trust (and its precursor Loch Users Group) built the jetty and improved access to the loch, ensures excellent water quality and co-ordinates sports users on the loch. It is now carrying out further safety measures at the loch side as a current project.
Craigencalt Trust was formed in 2011 from two pre-existing groups - Kinghorn Loch Users Group and Kinghorn Pathways.
For a full story of Kinghorn Loch and the work of the Trust see the Story of the Trust.
It is a registered charity.
In brief the Charitable Purposes are:
● to help manage and improve the environment and biodiversity,
● to research and promote understanding of the heritage and culture,
● to promote sustainable management and development,
● to help manage and promote non-powered amateur water sports on the loch and other recreations such as walking, cycling, bird watching and fishing,
by helping to provide or organise facilities for greater public participation in outdoor pursuits at Craigencalt, including Kinghorn Loch and surrounding countryside.
Craigencalt Trust is very grateful to all our Friends, many of whom have supported the Trust from inception in 2011. The annual suggested donation of £10 for adults (free for children) goes towards the administration of the Trust (the largest bill is insurance!) as well as for small projects. The support of 144 friends (2023) is indispensable. The Trust is run entirely by volunteers with no paid staff. We rely on the goodwill of landowners, often providing considerable 'in-kind' help, together with funders for our larger projects. Volunteers benefit greatly from developing skills and getting hands dirty. Since 2012 we have had grant assistance from:
- British Alcan Aluminium Ltd.,
- Awards for All,
- Banchory Farm,
- Burntisland and Kinghorn Rotary Club.
- Central Scotland Green Network,
- Common Good Funds,
- Craigencalt Farm,
- Edinburgh Airport Community Fund,
- Fife Council,
- Fife Environment Trust,
- Grangehill Farm,
- Paths for All.
Our Events
See some of our annual events.
Presentations.
The Trust hosts a few presentations each year, usually with a guest speaker. These cover topics of environmental or historical interest, but all are relevant to the local area. During spring and summer outdoor events are held around the loch. There are regular moth surveys held, walks of interest to identify trees, wild flowers and bees and guided walks to show the geology, industrial archaeology and heritage of the area.
"Come and Try" in May
Since 2007 all the sports and leisure groups at Kinghorn Loch have hosted a free come and try event on the first Saturday in May. It was first held to celebrate the completion of the new jetty, but has remained so popular it is now an annual event. Visitors can try canoeing, sailing, rowing, radio-controlled boats and open water swimming. There are also pleasant walks and bird watching to be enjoyed, making it a great day out.
Walking Festival.
The Trust has held six very successful local Walking Festivals in the spring each year. There is always a friendly atmosphere at the festival ,and walking helps to increase fitness levels with the added bonus of meeting new people. Walks vary in length, catering for most abilities, and all highlight the beauty and variation of the countryside in the area. The event is free but we do ask folk to register beforehand for numbers.
Photo Competition.
This has been an annual event, that is now a digital competition, and it works well, with an entry list of around 40. The 'best' is decided by a gathering of Friends. A trophy is presented to the winning photographer, to be proudly kept until the next year. Another great evening is the annual BBQ, a much loved opportunity for a blether in the countryside at Craigencalt Cottage.