Wallabies on Inchconnachan Island Loch Lomond

[A J Taylor]

Last September My girlfriend and I took a canoe trip on Loch Lomond to see if we could find the fabled wallabies,
In the 1920's Lady Arran Colquhoun introduced a mob of wallabies onto her private island on Loch Lomond and totally unmanaged they have continued to thrive with a viable population of around 25(+/-)
Lately the Wallabies have been under threat by the current Estate Mangement, who claim they need to be culled to preserve the habit for native species.... a load of bollocks in my opinion.
but we still have in Scotland. people who think they actually own and control our countryside and everything the walks crawl and flys....
...Rant over.. please read on and I hope you enjoy

We put in on the Loch at Balmaha and paddled out past the sleeping ducks

And headed out across the Loch towards Inchconnachan Island.

Once on the Island we had a hunt around for about an hour and found no trace of the wallabies. we set up camp and had some food,
Not long after we had eaten we spied this fella looking out of the bracken.

and a few moments later another one was sussing us out from the shore.

Soon they got brave/hungry and made their way into the camp.

At first they were quite content to lick the leftover of the pots and pans coming really close to us, as you can see from Annie's arm as she snapped them on her Mobile Phone.

Then one spied a bag of marshmallows

And quickly decided that this is what Wallabies eat!

Later on, after dark they could still be heard snuffling around looking for treats.

I hope you enjoyed this, and if you get the chance to visit "Wallaby Island" sit still and wait for them to come and visit you. If you go crashing about they will stay hidden.

[Rosemary Miles]

This is fascinating that wallabies should be thriving in the wild so far from home. I wish I'd known when I visiting Loch Lomond last year. Even though I would probably have had no chance of seeing them it would have been nice to know they were in the vicinity.