Short birdwatching visit · Scottish Wildlife Trust
Loch of Lintrathen
- Tier
- Worth a special trip
- Best season
- Late autumn and winter for geese; summer for breeding waterbirds
- Headline birds
- Greylag Goose
- Parking
- Western roadside parking at NO276557; the eastern lay-by holds only two cars.
- Hides
- Two public hides have separate approaches.
- Step-free
- The eastern hide is wheelchair accessible; this does not confirm access around the loch.
Bridgend of Lintrathen, west of Kirriemuir
Loch of Lintrathen provides an inland wildfowl watch among the Braes of Angus, with public hides overlooking a water-supply reservoir. The Trust’s local group highlights Greylag Goose from late autumn onwards and summer Tufted Duck and Great Crested Grebe. Use a hide rather than assuming the shore is freely accessible: the local group says the rest of the reserve is privately owned and requires permission. The western approach follows a forest track from roadside parking, while the eastern hide has a separate, very small lay-by and wheelchair access.
When to go and where to look
Late autumn and winter are the main seasons for Lintrathen’s goose spectacle. The Trust’s local group describes Greylag Geese returning from feeding fields in the late afternoon to roost, with birds gathering in their thousands. Watch from the public hides and keep the shoreland undisturbed. Summer offers a different open-water visit for Tufted Duck and Great Crested Grebe, with occasional Osprey also noted by the group. Choose the western or eastern hide approach before arriving; the small parking places are separate. Most of the remaining reserve is privately owned, and public hide access is not permission to explore the whole shoreline.
Sources: Scottish Wildlife Trust Angus group: Lintrathen seasonal birds · Scottish Wildlife Trust: Lintrathen public hides and access. Planning reviewed 2026-10-27.
Birds and seasons
- Greylag Goose · Headline bird — Late autumn and winter Source for Greylag Goose
- Tufted Duck — Summer Source for Tufted Duck
- Great Crested Grebe — Summer Source for Great Crested Grebe
Plan your visit
- Hides and viewpoints
- Two public hides have separate approaches.
- Paths
- A forest track leads from the western roadside parking to its hide.
- Toilets
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
- Parking
- Western roadside parking at NO276557; the eastern lay-by holds only two cars.
- Dogs
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
- Access notes
- The eastern hide is wheelchair accessible; this does not confirm access around the loch.
- Step-free access
- The eastern hide is wheelchair accessible; this does not confirm access around the loch.
Getting there: Turn off the B951 at Bridgend of Lintrathen. The pin marks the Trust’s published western parking grid. Use the named hide approaches and do not enter private shoreland without permission.
Sources
Social preview: original typographic artwork by Does Your Duck Quack.
Nearby special trips
- Tay Reedbeds · 20.6 straight-line miles
- Eden Estuary Local Nature Reserve · 25.2 straight-line miles
- Seaton Cliffs · 25.8 straight-line miles
Continue birding nearby
Nearest full guide: RSPB Loch of Kinnordy, 5.4 miles away in a straight line.
- Forfar Loch · 11.2 miles in a straight line
- Corrie Fee National Nature Reserve · 12.7 miles in a straight line
- Murton Nature Reserve · 13.7 miles in a straight line