Duddingston Loch

Duddingston Loch and bird sanctuary are situated to the south of Holyrood Park and the south west of Duddingston village in Edinburgh. It is extends to about 8 ha (20 acres), but with a maximum depth of only 3m (10 feet). The loch is a popular destination for bird-watching with many species including wintering wildfowl, heron and great crested grebe.

The Duddingston Loch has been a popular location for ice skating for hundreds of years. The loch has been depicted in various paintings, perhaps best known is The Rev. Walker skating on Duddingston Loch by Sir Henry Raeburn (1756-1823), held by the National Gallery of Scotland.

In 1778 a fantastic find of 53 Late Bronze Age weapons was dredged from the loch and are now held by the National Museums of Scotland.