Located at the eastern end of Loch Ruthven in the Inverness district of Highland Council Area, the Loch Ruthven Nature Reserve is owned and managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. The reserve also includes heather moorland, broad-leaved woodland and mire habitats.
It is noteworthy as the most important site in the UK for breeding Slavonian grebes, but also supports rare bog orchids and coralroot orchids in the damp birchwoods. Other birdlife includes ospreys, curlews, red-throated and black-throated divers, living alongside a population of toads.
A 500-m (546-yard) long trail runs from the car park to the loch-side hide.