Attractions

It should come as little surprise that the village is named after a well. Springs bubbling up from the foot of the Bishop Hill used to attract pilgrims from far and wide to “take the waters” and cure various ailments – with Robert the Bruce reputedly one of the patrons. A wooden Victorian shelter covers the most famous of the springs. The adjacent wash house was built in 1860 for communal washing.

The bishop is 1,500 ft (460 m) high with a signposted path leading up the hillside from the village passing through Kilmagadwood, the cuckoo wood, rich in native tree species such as oak, rowan and Scots pine. The wood is criss-crossed by cart tracks which were in use until the late 19th century by quarrymen bringing limestone down from the hills.
From the summit you will be rewarded with spectacular views over Loch Leven, the Ochil Hills, Fife and across the Firth of Forth to Edinburgh & The Lothians.

As you ascend the Bishop look out for Carlin Maggie, a 10m outcrop of rock, said to be the witch (carlin) Maggie who was turned to stone in a contest with the Devil never to be released until wind and weather set her free. Maggie lost her head in the late 1980s when the topmost stones fell off as a result of wind and frost.

Portmoak Moss, known to locals as The Moss, is one of the few remaining raised bogs in central Scotland providing a home to all sorts of wildlife, from roe deer and red squirrels to a wide variety of birds, fungi and sphagnum mosses. The site is also a hotspot for damsel and dragonflies, butterflies and moths. The waymarked level path is a beatiful walk for all ages and abilities

Brimming with wildlife and history, Loch Leven is the largest natural shallow water body in lowland Britain. Otters and kingfishers are regularly seen around the reserve, with the occasional visit from the more elusive white-tailed sea eagle. The Heritage Trail extends the whole 13 miles around the loch - a 13 mile, traffic-free you can walk, run, bike or ride along. 

Lochleven Castle is a ruined castle on an island in Loch Leven, built around 1300. Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned there in 1567–68, and forced to abdicate as queen, before escaping with the help of her gaoler's family.  The Castle is open to the public in summer, and access is by ferry.