General Visitor Information
Here in Scotland, we’re very lucky to have lots of beautiful reservoirs, rivers, and lochs.
Scottish Water look after around 300 of Scotland’s reservoirs with many of them being sources of drinking water. While that is an essential part of their role, they are also stunning natural spaces that we welcome you to come and enjoy.
Planning Your Visit
Why is it important to plan ahead? Some sites can become very busy and often there are limited facilities such as parking or toilets available. Having a Plan B in mind will mean you have an alternative location to visit if Plan A is crowded when you get there.
For some of our most popular sites, specific information is available to help you plan your visit.
- Milngavie Reservoir
- Carron Valley Reservoir, Stirlingshire
- North Third Reservoir, Stirlingshire
- Gladhouse Reservoir, Midlothian
If the site you’re planning to visit isn’t listed yet, make sure to check out the list of ‘Things to Remember’ below as well as our Water Safety and Respect Our Reservoirs pages. These are full of important information to help you have a safe and respectful visit.
Reservoir Rangers are Go!
A crack team of dedicated rangers is now welcoming visitors to Milngavie, Carron Valley, and Gladhouse Reservoirs.
The five-strong team are patrolling paths and shorelines, to help the public enjoy the reservoirs, protect the natural habitat and promote safety at reservoirs.
The pilot scheme, which runs until March 2024, is a first for Scottish Water. In a multi-agency partnership approach with East Dunbartonshire Council, Midlothian Council and Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) employ the rangers, while Scottish Water formed the team to deploy directly at the reservoirs.
You can spot our rangers with their jointly-branded clothing, so don't hesitate to stop for a chat. The team talks about their love of life on the job in our stunning new film below. Read more about the Reservoir Rangers pilot project.
WATCH
Spectcular new film features our new dedicated reservoir rangers talking about their roles welcoming visitors to Milngavie, Carron Valley and Gladhouse Reservoirs.
Things to Remember When Visiting a Reservoir
The Scottish Outdoor Access Code offers guidance on the rights and responsibilities, of both visitor to our sites and Scottish Water, and is based on three key principles:
Respect the interests of others
Everybody has the right to enjoy the outdoors, but it is important to remember that there are many people who live and work outdoors too and be respectful of other users.
Scottish Outdoor Access Code
For more on public access rights check out the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
Find out moreCare for the environment
As our environment contributes greatly to our quality of life, it is important that we all care for and respect it. We would also ask you to help us keep our reservoirs clean and tidy by taking your litter home.
Take responsibility for your own actions
It is important to remember that the outdoors is not risk-free and people exercising their access rights should do so with care. There are particular hazards associated with the water environment, especially reservoirs.
