Loch Ken is a beautiful 9 mile long freshwater loch close to Castle Douglas and St Johns town of Dalry. Activities including fishing, water skiing, wildlife watching, sailing and canoeing are available. With so many things happening on one Loch, Dumfries and Galloway Council have managed the Loch Ken power boat regulations for the last 30 years in order to keep everyone on the loch safe.
The new scheme will allow boats to be registered for a day for just £6 and get a key for the public slipway for £12 a day. If you want to register for a full year, that option is still available and will cost £32 for the first year and £22 for subsequent years ,with an additional charge of £30 for a key to the public slipway.
To take your boat out on the Loch using the short registration scheme you must go to one of the 4 marinas on the loch: Crossmichael Marina; Loch Ken Holiday Park; Loch Ken Marina; or Galloway Activity Centre – all of which can supply you with a registration board and a copy of the Loch Ken power boat regulations.
Chair of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Economy, Environment and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Colin Smyth said; ‘Loch Ken is both one of the most scenic and peaceful places in Dumfries and Galloway also one of the most exciting, with the water-skiing, power boating, sailing and canoeing. To have a Loch large enough for all of this is an amazing asset for the region and one that should be enjoyed by as many people as possible.
This new registration scheme should enable many more visitors to enjoy the loch, but also gives locals the chance to try out something new. At the same time it will also ensure that the loch is kept safe for everyone to enjoy.’
To launch the scheme and help get the word out we are running a competition to win a chance to take your boat out on Loch Ken for a weekend for FREE. All you need to do is to find our announcement of the new short boat registration scheme on Facebook and comment on it. That will get your name in the hat, and one lucky winner will get a weekend’s registration and launching for FREE.
The Loch Ken power boat scheme is run by Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Countryside Team along with the Loch Ken Advisory Management Committee. All power boats on Loch Ken must be registered. All boats over 6hp require insurance. The short registration scheme requires a deposit of £50 against loss or damage to the registration boards.
For more information contact Tom Henry, [email protected], 07702 250958.
