An “incredibly rare” sighting of an adder swimming in the River Muick has been filmed by an amateur photographer.
Britain’s only venomous snake was seen on the Balmoral Estate at Loch Muick and is occasionally known to swim in the water – although it is thought to have only been caught on camera a few times.
However, Gillian Cassie was out for a walk to the Falls of Muick with a friend when she saw something remarkable.
She said: “We decided to walk further up the track after visiting the falls, to find a spot where we could have a break, enjoy open views and paddle our feet in the River Muick.
“We were both sitting on rocks, feet in the water, chatting away, when I noticed the adder on a rock in the water.
“We moved rather quickly thereafter back onto the bank because it slipped into the water and made its first stop on the rock where my friend had been sitting.
“The adder continued to swim and bask on various rocks until it settled in the middle of the river.”
Head ranger on the estate, Glyn Jones responded he was “not surprised” to hear of the reptile taking to water.
But he added: “This is a very unusual sighting. Adders are fairly common on the estate, but it’s extremely rare to see them entering the water like this and not something I have witnessed myself – I wish I had.”
While adders will spend most mornings basking in the sunshine, they are known to take a dip to cool down.
Mr Jones commented: “This is the first time that I have heard of a sighting of an adder swimming on Loch Muick – but I did once see footage of a mole swimming up the Loch.”
He went on to say that if any member of the public saw a similar occurrence while out walking they should “give it a wide berth and let it move away”.
