Short birdwatching visit · Scottish Wildlife Trust
Longhaven Cliffs
- Tier
- Worth a special trip
- Best season
- May–August for seabirds
- Headline birds
- Kittiwake · Puffin · Guillemot
- Parking
- Park before the gate at the Trust car park; do not drive through it.
- Hides
- Not stated by the operator
- Step-free
- Not stated by the operator
Buchan coast, south of Peterhead; Trust car park at NK1122639857
Longhaven Cliffs combines pink granite headlands with summer seabird colonies on the Buchan coast. Kittiwakes, Guillemots, Razorbills and Puffins breed here, with sea stacks and arches adding interest between watches. Begin at the Trust car park and walk the approach track to the signed reserve entrance. The cliff path requires care and may be unsuitable for young children. A section remains flagged for repair by the operator, so follow the linked closure map and any local barriers when choosing how far to walk.
When to go and where to look
May to August is the recorded seabird visiting window for Longhaven Cliffs. Look from the established coastal path towards the breeding ledges for Kittiwake, Guillemot, Razorbill and Puffin, allowing time to compare birds moving between the cliffs and sea. The granite stacks and arches make this a varied colony watch, but they do not justify approaching an exposed edge. Start at the Trust car park and follow the approach track through the gate to the reserve sign. Steep steps and exposed ground require care, and the operator’s path-section closure remains a limit on the walk until current notices say otherwise.
Sources: Scottish Wildlife Trust: Longhaven Cliffs. Planning reviewed 2026-10-27.
Birds and seasons
- Kittiwake · Headline bird — Summer Source for Kittiwake
- Puffin · Headline bird — Summer Source for Puffin
- Guillemot · Headline bird — Summer Source for Guillemot
- Razorbill — Summer Source for Razorbill
Plan your visit
- Hides and viewpoints
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
- Paths
- Clifftop paths include steep steps. Stay on the footpath and observe the operator’s section-closure notice.
- Toilets
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
- Parking
- Park before the gate at the Trust car park; do not drive through it.
- Dogs
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
- Access notes
- Steep coastal ground; the cliff path may be unsuitable for young children.
- Step-free access
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
Getting there: Use the car park at NK1122639857 shown by the Trust’s access map. Walk through the gate and follow the track to the Trust sign on the left; the map pin marks the car park, not the cliffs.
Sources
Social preview: original typographic artwork by Does Your Duck Quack.
Nearby special trips
- Blackdog beach and sea-watching · 18.5 straight-line miles
- Seaton Cliffs · 66.9 straight-line miles
- Loch of Lintrathen · 73.6 straight-line miles
Continue birding nearby
Nearest full guide: Forvie National Nature Reserve and Ythan Estuary, 8.3 miles away in a straight line.
- Blackdog beach and sea-watching · 18.5 miles in a straight line
- Portknockie–Findochty Cliffs · 42.3 miles in a straight line
- Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve · 49.1 miles in a straight line