Merkinch Local Nature Reserve (North end) — Attraction in Merkinch

Come and enjoy our best-kept secret-  that’s the message from a group running a wild green space at the heart of one of Inverness’s most deprived areas. . Merkinch Local Nature Reserve (MLNR) is yards from ‘the Ferry’, an area of the city long linked to poverty and crime. . MLNR’s new project manager Caroline Snow has been inviting the local community to drop-in sessions to find out what they want for this hidden gem on their doorstep. Extending west along the Beauly Firth from the old Kessock ferry ticket office, MLNR boasts sea shore and mud flats, pools, swamps and woodland. . Caroline says dolphins regularly swim by and she has even seen a humpback whale and pod of pilot whales. . Otters can often be spotted, along with herons, terns, oyster catchers and there are regular reports of an osprey flying over in the afternoons. . She said: “There have also been sightings of a sea eagle. . “The wildlife here is astounding. We’ve got a Scottish safari park on our doorstep.” Turning away from the shore, the reserve has woodland approached through two grassy picnic areas where swallows swoop and finches flit from tree to tree. . Roe deer live in the woods and a kingfisher has even been spotted at the far end of the 55 ha reserve. . Caroline’s three-year post, funded by the Big Lottery, involves engaging with the Merkinch community, encouraging them to visit the reserve and finding out how they want to use it. . She said: “We had our first drop-in session this week, and people came up with a lot of different ideas. . “The most negative thing I heard was someone didn’t like the amount of dogs running round and they felt slightly threatened by that, so we’re planning to encourage responsible dog ownership. “But there were lots of positive things, people asking to find out what species live here, what wildlife, what trees and so on. “Somebody suggested that we plant lots of edible food trees, so I’m thinking about raised bed gardens and planting fruit trees. I think that would be a nice way to bring the community together.” . Caroline’s own programme of events for MLNR  include a kids’ club every Friday throughout the summer, some joint projects to look at moths and butterflies with countryside ranger John Orr, and evening surveys of bats. . She said, “We’ll also be doing guided walks to tell people what lives here and grows here. “In August we’ll have an astronomy night with local mathematician and astronomer Stephen Mackintosh. . “We’re even thinking about having a silent disco, where people can cut all sorts of groovy shapes as they listen to music on headphones.” . She added: “The more ideas the better and I will chip away and make as many things happen as I possibly can.” . Remember to follow me to get more information about more destinations. . If my information was helpful please click like to help me...

Stopped at this location at a striking distance from Inverness city centre while returning from the Isle of Skye to Edinburgh. A quiet little place overlooking the Lake, good for strolls and spending some time.

We couldn't do much there although we reached there during a morning, as we went during January's first week when it started snowing, at -7 degrees. Ours were the only car in the huge parking lot. We could see ticket counters for boating and other activities, boats Anchored in the water, which, however, was temporarily close as the lake was frozen. We were the only visitors there in this spot when we visited. There were no restaurants/ cafes/ eateries on the site, and no toilets open as well.

We didn't venture too much into the walkways - but just the gardens with some tree plantations. All we could do there was take some pictures of the snow-clad lake and the breaktaking view.

Since we couldn't do much there, we left to the Inverness city centre after spending not so long here.

This place could be best explored on a Sunny day, when it doesn't snow. One could expect this place to be buzzing with activities - including guided tours, boating etc. This is a very accessible place given its proximity to the Inverness city centre.

My verdicts:

Ambience ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Amenities ⭐️ Experience ⭐️

Accesibility ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Verdict: Certainly didn't have a good experience since we visited at the wrong time. I'd definitely come back another time, ideally...

Having read some of the reviews on trip advisor I was a little dubious, but this really is a wonderful place to visit. We walked up the Ness from Inverness Town Centre, and entered the nature reserve from the turning circle on to the sea wall, which was well signposted.

We arrived at high tide, and although we kept our eyes peeled we didn't see any dolphins, seals, or sea otters. However, the views out across the Firth were stunning and with the intermittent sunshine were well worth it. We diverted off to the left on a couple of the paths and didn't see too much evidence of litter or dog dirt, only rarely. We saw a large number of grey herons, and imagine that at low tide there would be a lot going on beside the sea wall on the mud flat. The paths were all well looked after with only a few big puddles and mud patches. In summer you'd be fine in normal shoes.

We walked on to the Caledonian Canal as the end of our walk, going up to the final lock gates in the Firth and then back down to finish at the Swing Bridge and the Jammy Piece Cafe. We were lucky enough to be in time to see the Swing Bridge operate and let a boat through to the sequence of locks beyond.

A really pleasant, interesting and varied walk with good paths and something for both wildlife lovers and...