Kinross

Kinross (Gaelic: Ceann Rois) is a burgh in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It was originally the county town of Kinross-shire. The site of the original parish church and churchyard are located down a small wynd overlooking Loch Leven, a little away from the town.

This attractive former market town was originally linked by railway to Perthshire, Fife and Clackmannanshire until the rail links gradually disappeared. Recently Kinross has expanded considerably, especially since the construction of the M90 motorway - the main north-south artery which bypasses the town. Many people working within a commuting radius of Kinross have settled in the town owing to its convenient central location and excellent local amenities. Loch Leven is also a popular holiday base for tourists, who especially appreciate its proximity to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Perth and St Andrews (all lying within an hour's drive of Kinross). The burgh is attractively located on the shores of Loch Leven, and there are boat trips around the loch and to Loch Leven Castle, where Mary Queen of Scots was famously held prisoner in 1567.

The annual T in the Park music festival is held nearby, at the former Balado airfield. Balado is also the locale of a now inactive NATO ICBM early warning radar and during the Second World War there was an airstrip and barracks.

There are roughly 4000-5000 people living in Kinross. The vast majority of children living in Kinross will attend Kinross High School, with the others also possibly attending local private schools such as Dollar Academy.

Kinross was also the home of Flight Sergeant George Thompson whose posthumous Victoria Cross in 1945 is often cited as the best merited of the entire air war. He was the wireless operator in a Lancaster of No. 9 Squadron on a dawn raid against the Dortmund-Ems Canal when the plane was struck by a salvo of two 88mm shells.

Kinross offers many opportunities for getting out and being active, with countless options for walking and cycling in the local area. A recently developed path called the Loch Leven Trails has been developed which offers 12.5 km of walking and cycling heritage trail around the shoreline of Loch Leven. It begins at RSPB Vane Farm Nature Reserve via Findatie to Kinross Pier/Kirkgate Park. The local leisure centre in Kinross - Loch Leven Leisure also opportunities for all ages and abilities to stay active all year round. Kinross also has an amateur football team who currently play in the Fife Kingdom Caledonian Football League.