A new hide has opened at one of Argyll and Bute’s best-loved havens for wading birds.

The view from the hide at Broxwood, Sandbank, near Dunoon, looks right over the flat lands and estuary at the head of the Holy Loch.

The project was originally identified by the Argyll Forest Landscape Partnership before being adopted by the Sandbank Community Development Trust (SCDT).

The hide is accessed by a path which crosses two oak bridges, constructed by Ardentinny-based wood carver Guy Elder.

Argyll and Bute Council has leased SCDT the land for just £1 a year. Other funders include Scottish Natural Heritage, LEADER, Argyll Bird Club, Loch Lomond and the Trossochs National Park and the local Community Partnership.

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SCDT steering group member Councillor Bruce Marshall, who is also chair of the Bute and Cowal Area Committee, is delighted that the hide is now open.

“This project has been in the pipeline for some time, and the hide has been eagerly awaited by bird watching enthusiasts - not just those from Cowal but from further afield as well,” he added.

“I am confident that the new hide will give pleasure not just to existing enthusiasts, but to others who might be experiencing the rewards of bird watching for the first time.

“Whilst the opening ceremony was taking place, a Shelduck – the largest duck which breeds in Britain after wintering on the continent – was preening itself on a grassy bank no more than 70 metres away.

“It’s a fantastic facility, and I congratulate all those who have worked so hard to see the project through to completion,” he said.

(GK)