Lochnaw Castle Loch Fishery

Lochnaw Castle Loch Fishery, which sits in a magnificent historical and natural setting, is one of the most iconic fisheries in the UK.

Lochnaw Loch is a 48 acre water with an ancient pedigree located on a private estate in the Rhins of Galloway in Southern Scotland. After decades of neglect, the Lochnaw Castle Estate was rescued by the current owners in 1999. They then embarked on a lengthy process of restoration and rejuvenation which remains ongoing. Lochnaw Loch sits at the heart of the estate, dominated as it is by the imposing shore line presence of the 15th century Lochnaw Castle. The loch was originally carved out of the surrounding rolling hills by Iron Age man, purely for defensive purposes, and from Georgian times was reknowned for the quality of its' trout. A relatively shallow loch, it occupies a wonderfully picturesque position fringed, as it is, by a variety of specimen trees and shrubs, including majestic beech and some of the tallest monkey puzzles in the world. The water plays host to big beds of lilly pads, reeds and water iris and is dotted with craggy islets, the remnants of old crannogs and a main island which holds the ruins of the original Lochnaw Castle, an early medieval royal fortress, once the main bastion of Clan Agnew. With the surrounding woods alive with deer and red squirrels and a plethora of birdlife and wildfowl on and around the water, including one of the largest roosts of rooks to be found anywhere in the British Isles, there are few more delightful and atmospheric places in which to cast a fishing line. All in all, a perfect wild venue for a fishing holiday. And then, of course, there are the fish! Following the visit of Kevin Green, the late, great angling journalist, to the iconic shores of the loch in 2012, he described the experience as follows: 'Venues like Lochnaw don't emerge on the fishing scene very often. They are the equivalent of rooting through the loft and blowing the dust off a long lost Van Gogh masterpiece. But what this marvellous fishery does prove is that there are a few nuggets of angling gold waiting to be discovered. And, it has to be said, there probably aren't many venues that will be any better than Lochnaw. ' Since Kevin's visit, and his witnessing of one of the best specimen roach hauls of recent times, Lochnaw Castle Loch Fishery has shown that it is home to, arguably, the largest head of big roach to be found anywhere in the British Isles at present. With over 600 2lb + roach banked since opening, including over 70 + 3lb fish, it has become an angling mecca to some of the 250 guests who have tested its' waters over the past 3 years, providing countless pb's along the way. As such, it has proved a magnet to specimen anglers who want to target stunning fish in beautiful natural surroundings. The loch is also home to rudd, some huge perch and eels and big, hard fighting wild brown trout who are, sadly, much neglected by those in pursuit of giant redfins. The fishery still holds many mysteries along with many uncaught specimens and there are still areas of the loch that have never been fished properly, if at all. For an opportunity to share in the 'Lochnaw experience, ' fishing is available for parties of up to 4 anglers on a week by week basis with exclusive use of the fishery (including night fishing), our 2 twin bedroom fishing lodge and our boat. Prices range from £175-£250 pp per week based on 4 anglers sharing. The fishery is ideally suited to the dedicated and experienced specimen angler as our better fish do not surrender easily and every capture is hard earned. For future availability and any other fishery related enquiries, in the first instance, please email us at info@lochnawcastle. co. uk.