She often returned to Inchconnachan — meaning "The Colquhoun's Island" in Scottish Gaelic — over other nearby isles of Inchtavannach, Inchmoan and Inchcruin, due to its mid-loch location and secluded bays that made it ideal for powerboating.
After taking part in a powerboat speed trial aboard the racing boat Miss England III on Loch Lomond at the age of 13, Colquhoun's need for speed gathered pace.
She would eventually earn the nickname "the fastest granny on water". And after becoming the first woman to travel faster than mph on water by hitting a blistering mph on Lake Windermere in , she was awarded the esteemed Segrave Trophy , which is given to Britons demonstrating "outstanding skill, courage and initiative on land, water and in the air". Today, Inchconnachan remains something of a testament to the countess' quirks.
At their home in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, Gore's penchant for keeping non-native animals, such as llamas, alpacas and wallabies, was well-documented. Inchconnachan is also home to the capercaillie , an endangered Scottish woodland grouse.
It is disputed, but they seem happy cohabiting with the wallabies. Considered the most exotic animal species in Scotland, Inchconnachan's red-necked wallabies are a smaller relative of kangaroos.
Though they're native to the temperate reaches of eastern Australia and Tasmania, the wallabies seem to have developed a particular fondness for Inchconnachan's moody climate over the years, and are even known to hop across the frozen loch and frolic in the nearby woodlands during severe winters.
Like Colquhoun who passed away in and her pouched pets, I, too, have a particular fondness for Loch Lomond and have spent countless days exploring it by foot and boat over the years. The largest lake in Scotland, Lomond is laced with 22 islands and 27 islets, mostly covered in dense woodland. It's those islands, and specifically Inchconnachan, that had long piqued my interest.
I was always keen to find out what — or who — was hopping around on these far-flung arboreous isles. While Lady Colquhoun used Inchconnachan to fuel her speed demon dreams, these days it — and most islands on Loch Lomond — is inaccessible by ferry or public boat.
Instead, slow-travelling adventure seekers like myself can hire a kayak, canoe or paddleboard from the nearby village of Luss and paddle 1km across the usually calm waters to the island. Once there, another adventure awaits. Few travellers may realise that, like Sweden's famed law of wanderlust , Scotland is one of just a handful of countries in the world and the only country in the UK where wild camping is legal.
After being owned by the Clan Colquhoun since the 14th Century, Scotland's uninhabited " wallaby island " made headlines in July when it was put up for sale. It eventually sold in March , but despite its new ownership and status as a private island, Scotland's wild camping access rights still apply — though it's important to travel responsibly.
In severe winters, some hop across the frozen loch surface to live in the woodlands at the lochside. From time-to-time these are seen or narrowly missed by car-borne tourists, causing great consternation. Terry Hooper of the Exotic Animal Register suggested initially that this must be a misprint as Wallabies are reported to have been living wild in the Peak District in Derbyshire since the s and there is estimated to be around on the loose in England.
However, Mr Hooper later reported that neither the Dept. The following message was posted on UKBigCats on 10 th April , suggesting that the Derbyshire wallabies may in fact be extinct:. That mooted cull led to protests in , with animal welfare activists reportedly offering to rehome the animals instead.
Luss Estates said on Thursday it never applied for a Scottish Natural Heritage culling licence for the wallablies, which are known as a mob, court or troupe. Luss Estates is selling the island with planning permission for a new house, boat house and jetty. Mike Flynn, the chief superintendent of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals , suggested the animals could be left alone. However, considering how long they have been in the wild and the fact they do not appear to be causing significant ecological damage, we believe it would be best if they were left on the island.
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