Loch of Butterstone is a small freshwater loch, almost circular in shape, located within the nature reserve of the Cardney Estate, near

Dunkeld Dunkeld (, sco, Dunkell, from gd, Dùn Chailleann, "fort of the Caledonians") is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The location of a historic cathedral, it lies on the north bank of the River Tay, opposite Birnam. Dunkeld lies close to t ...

Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross ( sco, Pairth an Kinross; gd, Peairt agus Ceann Rois) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Fife, Highland and S ...

. It is one of a group of three lochs, which include

Loch of the Lowes Loch of the Lowes is a loch near Dunkeld in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The loch and the surrounding area are designated as a wildlife reserve, run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The loch is also a designated Site of Special Scientific Intere ...

and

Loch of Craiglush Loch of Craiglush is a freshwater loch, located around north-east of Dunkeld in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The loch is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), as well as forming part of a Special Area of Conservation. Fis ...

, which are located next to each other in southeast to northwest orientation. Loch of Butterstone is located at the top of the group at the northwest end, with Loch of the Lowes being at the southwest and Loch of Craiglush located north of Loch of the Lowes. The three lochs form a chain of lochs known as the Lunan Lochs.

Settlements

is the largest settlement, which is located southeast from the loch. The A923 main road passes to the north of the three lochs, which runs from

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

Geography

View from Benachally Monument - geograph

The loch lies at the head of the valley of the Lunan Burn, which flows east and southeast to join the River Isla near

Coupar Angus Coupar Angus (; Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic: ''Cùbar Aonghais'') is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, south of Blairgowrie and Rattray, Blairgowrie. The name Coupar Angus serves to differentiate the town from Cupar, Fife. The town was traditi ...

. The primary feature of Loch of Butterstone, is the clearness of the water, which has been described as ''gin'' clear. This startling clearness is particularly noticeable in Scotland, when most lochs are peat lochs, and are therefore peaty in colour. The three lochs are located in shallow valley, with a northeast orientation, looking from the Dunkeld side. The most prominent feature, is

Newtyle Hill Newtyle Hill is a mountainous landform in the Sidlaw Hills in Angus, Scotland The vicinity has elements of prehistory including presence of the Eassie Stone, a Pictish stone dating to the Dark Ages.Hogan, 2007 It is not to be confused with a hi ...

at , which is closest to Loch of Lowes. At the other side of the valley is a number of shallow hills, including Crieff Hill, at the base of the three lochs, on the northeast orientation, rising to ''Craig More''. The surrounding area is heavily wooded. On the west slope, looking from Dunkeld, is Drumbuie Wood. Loch of Butterstone is a well known

flyfishing Fly fishing is an angling method that uses a light-weight lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. The light weight requires casting techniques significantly diffe ...

loch.

References

{{reflist Butterstone Butterstone Nature centres in Scotland Protected areas of Perth and Kinross Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Scotland Conservation in the United Kingdom Special Areas of Conservation in Scotland Birdwatching sites in Scotland