The Friends of Kirkgate Park is made up of concerned individuals and representatives of local groups from the Kinross area. The remit which developed was the reinvigoration and enhancement of Kirkgate Park. A management committee steers this project but any individual is welcome to comment or join in at any time. Articles in the locally distributed Kinross Newsletter regularly encourage this.

Kirkgate Park is a spacious local park which serves the Kinross community as well as being the main access point to the side of Loch Leven for the 12000 strong Kinross-shire population and its many visitors

The Park enjoys a natural setting which has National Nature Reserve Status and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is a beautiful location with the natural spectacle of brooding and migratory birds to enjoy. Many also visit to cross the water to Castle Island to view the site of the imprisonment and escape of Mary Queen of Scots. There is much unexplained ancient history and geography both within and adjacent to the Park. The Friends of Kirkgate Park Group seeks to make this available and in doing so hopes to enrich the enjoyment and experience of the Park in the wider Loch setting.

Much of the project seeks to improve and enhance physical access to the Park and its assets. Vehicle dominance will be minimised and multi user pathways will allow all to encounter and enjoy the whole of the Park. This will also enable access to the Loch Leven Heritage Trail currently being developed by the Rural Access Committee of Kinross-shire.

The Kirkgate Park project seeks to ‘naturalise’ the park’s setting in line with its National Nature Reserve status. This will be done through enhanced biodiversity and specialist planting. To allow proper understanding of the natural and human history, interpretation boards will be placed in suitable locations in the park and suitable play opportunities will be developed all of which will encourage Park users to recognise the very special setting.

The project is designed to serve the local community as its major public open space whilst increasing its use and improving understanding of its special attributes. The enhancements will facilitate integrated use by all abilities. It is also hoped that improvements will serve to enrich the experience of visitors who seek enjoyment in the Loch Leven Area.