Loch Leven’s Larder is celebrating eight years of supporting a thriving local parkrun route, with the popular food and drink destination continuing to play a central role in bringing runners, walkers and visitors to the area.
Owners Emma and Rob Niven established the scenic route on their land at Channel Farm in 2018, working with Kinross Road Runners and a committed group of volunteers to create what has since become one of the area’s most vibrant Saturday-morning communities.
Since the first event on 11 August 2018, 340 parkruns have been held on the route, with 28,500 runs recorded and 577 volunteers helping make the weekly event possible.
The 2km-and-a-bit loop takes users from Loch Leven’s Larder down towards the Loch Leven Heritage Trail before returning along a different path. Running the route twice, with a short additional section at the start, creates the 5km distance needed for parkrun.
Every Saturday at 9.30am, runners, joggers and walkers of all ages and abilities take to the route, many ending their visit with a well-earned coffee, breakfast, lunch or refreshment at the Larder.
“We can’t believe eight years have gone by so quickly,” said Emma Niven. “We are so pleased that this scenic route has become so popular and well used in the local community.”
A destination for activity and refreshment
While the parkrun has become a major draw in its own right, the route has also strengthened Loch Leven’s Larder’s role as a destination for people enjoying the outdoors around Loch Leven.
The path is open to walkers throughout the week and provides a direct connection between the Larder and the Loch Leven Heritage Trail, the 20km circuit around the loch. Visitors can enjoy a short 2km walk from the Larder down towards the water before returning on a different route, or use the connecting path as part of a longer day exploring the heritage trail.
For those completing the full Loch Leven circuit, Loch Leven’s Larder has become a natural stopping point for food and drink, offering somewhere to rest and refuel after a walk, run or cycle around the loch.
“Many people visit the Larder and walk the 2km loop as it takes them down towards the Loch, returning along a different path back to the Larder,” said Scott Strachan of Kinross Road Runners. “Equally, many thousands of people a year use the Loch Leven Heritage Trail, the 20km circuit of Loch Leven, using the connecting path up to the Larder for some well-earned refreshment.”
Community partnership
Emma and Rob, both members of Kinross Road Runners and keen parkrun participants, have helped create a lasting community asset alongside their food and drink business.
The couple have completed parkruns across Europe, including in Italy, Germany, Sweden, Norway, France, Switzerland and Poland, as well as in England and elsewhere in Scotland. Their enthusiasm for the global parkrun movement helped inspire the creation of a route that welcomes local residents and visitors alike.
“We hoped having a parkrun here would bring so much benefit to the area, but it has well and truly surpassed our expectations,” Emma said. “Kinross Road Runners, and the core team of volunteers involved in parkrun, are to be commended. Spreading the word so enthusiastically over the years as to how much fun parkrun is, they have been the best advocates for people of all ages and fitness levels getting involved.”
Volunteers from Kinross Road Runners and the wider local community initially secured the funding and permissions needed to establish the parkrun in 2018. Emma and Rob then enabled the loop to be created on their land.
The route has developed a strong reputation for its reliability in poor weather, remaining accessible when other nearby parkruns may be affected by flooding or debris caused by high winds.
A route with lasting impact
Kinross Road Runners also use the loop throughout the week for hill-repetition sessions and club events. The route has hosted a Hare & Tortoise event, alongside two 24-hour charity fundraisers where at least one runner remained on the course at every moment during the fundraising period.
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“Rob and Emma’s unwavering support and cooperation in 2018 created what is a very accessible parkrun route,” Scott said. “Over the years though, they have been instrumental in helping it become one of the very best, and most vibrant, parkruns in the whole area, enjoyed by runners of all abilities.”
For the Nivens, seeing people combine exercise, time outdoors and a visit to Loch Leven’s Larder has been one of the most rewarding outcomes of the past eight years.
“Seeing this parkrun route take off has been one of the most rewarding aspects of our personal and professional lives in the past eight years,” Emma said. “We have given back to the local community who have supported us for so many years here.”
