Loch Leven is a freshwater loch situated in the Tayside region of Scotland. It is the largest lake of its kind in the British lowlands. The lake contains 7 islands, among which the largest are San Serfs and the Castle.
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| Loch Leven |
The island of the Castle receives its name from the castle that is located there. This castle housed Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots in the 16th century. Scottish aristocrats imprisoned her in 1567 forcing her to abdicate from her. It is said that one of her young pages fell in love with Maria and helped her escape from the castle. Once she was Maria, she set about raising an army to help him reclaim her throne, but he was defeated at the Battle of Langside.
The story of Maria Estuardo is not the only one that keeps this castle as a treasure. In 1335 it was one of the few points that had not been taken by the English, and English forces besieged it for nine months to no avail. They tried to force the occupants to leave, obstructing the castle so that when the water level rose it would flood it and they would drown, but the plan did not have an effect since they broke the dam and the water gushed out drowning some Englishmen who were camped. on the bank of a river.
For its part, Loch Leven, semicircular in shape, houses a landscape that is an extraordinary spectacle, being also a place of recreation that offers various activities depending on the time of year.
Loch Leven has been a National Nature Reserve since 1964 which is managed by the Scottish Natural Heritage Association, and has been extended to include the VANE FARM part of the nature reserve, which is maintained by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds).