RSPB Marwick Head

Marwick Head best time to visit and seasonal birds

January: January usually favours the lower Choin outlook at Marwick Bay car park for Turnstone, Purple Sandpiper and Ringed Plover. Choose a calm interval with safe dry footing. The winter shore is a different visit from the summer seabird colony, and a short watch can be more useful than an exposed climb.

February: In February, watch Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone from the Choin car-park outlook and listen for Rock Pipit along the public grassy approach. Fulmars may return to the cliffs, but wind and swell determine whether the upper walk is sensible. Do not make a clifftop visit a fixed obligation.

March: March typically brings more spring activity without the full auk spectacle. Try the Choin outlook for Shelduck and Oystercatcher, then the public approach for Rock Dove and Rock Pipit. If conditions allow the climb, scan for Fulmar from the official Kitchener Memorial viewpoint, well away from edges.

April: April usually makes the Kitchener Memorial viewpoint increasingly worthwhile for returning Guillemot, Razorbill and Kittiwake. Use binoculars first and a scope only from a stable safe position. Down at Choin, Shelduck and Ringed Plover offer a gentler alternative if sea spray or gusts make the climb unattractive.

May: May is our choice for combining the seabird colony with the bay. Watch Guillemot, Kittiwake, Razorbill, Fulmar and Shag from the official Kitchener Memorial viewpoint. Puffin is present in smaller numbers rather than the main spectacle. Check Choin for Shelduck without approaching any breeding or resting birds.

June: In June, the Kitchener Memorial viewpoint gives the broad colony experience: Guillemot and Kittiwake first, with Razorbill, Fulmar, Shag and smaller numbers of Puffin to search for patiently. Rock Pipit and Rock Dove can be watched along the established approach. Keep dogs close and give all nesting ground space.

July: July usually remains useful for auks at the official clifftop viewpoint, though departures begin and exact timing varies. Watch Guillemot and Razorbill on the sea as well as the cliffs. Use the grassy public trail for Rock Pipit and Oystercatcher, with no attempt to follow adults towards nests.

August: August typically marks the change away from packed auk ledges. Kittiwake and Fulmar may still reward the Kitchener Memorial viewpoint while returning Turnstone adds interest at Choin. Do not judge the bay by the absence of June’s colony activity; choose the lower watch if the exposed route is uncomfortable.

September: September usually suits a slower Choin watch for Turnstone, Ringed Plover and Herring Gull, with Rock Pipit along the public grassy approach. The colony is no longer the principal reason to visit. Read the tide alongside swell and wind rather than walking out towards birds on newly exposed shore.

October: In October, winter waders become a more useful focus. Try the Marwick Bay car-park outlook for Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone and Ringed Plover. Stay back from resting groups, particularly as rising water reduces their choices. A forecast allowing brief clear intervals may suit the sheltered vehicle-based plan better than the upper walk.

November: November usually favours a compact lower-shore visit: Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone at Choin, with Rock Dove or Rock Pipit along the first public path section. Bring a scope if available for distant birds. There is no enclosed hide, so finish the visit before cold hands or unstable footing become distracting.

December: December is a month for choosing safety and light before distance. Watch Ringed Plover, Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone from the Choin outlook where conditions permit. The reserve’s open status does not make icy grass, a cliff edge or storm-driven water safe, and there is no requirement to complete the circular walk.

Marwick Head opening times, entry and facilities

Admission checked 18 October 2026: the RSPB lists free entry for adults and children, including non-members. There is no ordinary admission booking requirement. Make a first visit in daylight so that the grassy climb and coastal route are easy to judge. The operator identifies parking at Marwick Bay and an alternative small area at Cumlaquoy with room for about six cars. Its charges page does not state a separate parking price; establish any current vehicle charge before travelling rather than assuming a blank tariff means free parking. The generic suggestion to pay at a visitor centre is inconsistent with the facilities page's explicit statement that there is no centre; reserve admission itself is clearly free. Read the current RSPB notices and weather forecast before setting out, especially when a clifftop walk is central to the visit.

Marwick Head trails, hides and visit length

The RSPB describes a 2.5-mile circular walk from Marwick Bay up to the clifftop, returning along single-track roads. A shorter approach starts at Cumlaquoy, about half a mile each way to the cliff top. Use the information boards at the car parks to decide which route suits your time and conditions. The walk from the bay gives a gradual change from shore watching to the seabird colony and the Kitchener Memorial viewpoint. The Choin is the bay's low-tide lagoon, where waders and ducks can be watched from the car park area. This is a worthwhile destination in its own right, particularly outside the colony season. There are no enclosed hides or formal sheltered viewing structures. Keep a safe distance from cliff edges, and choose a stopping point that lets other walkers pass without squeezing towards the drop. Birds moving below you can be followed with binoculars from a secure position. Two-hour plan, editorial suggestion: choose either the shore and part of the bay route, or the shorter Cumlaquoy approach with a sustained colony watch. Trying to fit the full circular route into a tight window leaves little time to study birds. At the shore, compare feeding and resting areas; at the cliff, watch one stretch of ledges carefully rather than attempting a complete count. Full-day plan, editorial suggestion: begin with the Choin and Marwick Bay, then follow the circular route when conditions are suitable, taking a packed lunch break in a safe place away from the edge. Give the memorial viewpoint a generous watch and return with time for another shore session. Alternatively, split the day into two shorter visits around the most useful tide and light. This allows the landscape's different habitats to shape the outing without making a long exposed walk compulsory.

Marwick Head accessibility and step-free routes

The route to the cliff top is grassy and includes steep inclines. The RSPB warns that it can be wet and slippery, with two narrow kissing gates on the latter part of the trail. These features make the climb a substantially different proposition from watching at the bay. If you use a wheelchair, scooter or pushchair, discuss the exact approach with the Orkney reserve team before travelling rather than assuming that a short route is step-free. Both parking areas have rough surfaces; Marwick Bay is described as hardcore. There are no height restrictions or lighting. One seat is located along the trail near the Choin, but a rest point should not be assumed wherever a longer climb becomes tiring. Consider wind exposure, balance and how you would retrace the route if conditions deteriorate. The nearest accessible toilets identified by the RSPB are RADAR facilities at the Bay of Skaill, about 4.1 miles south. The operator does not identify nearby baby-changing provision. A shore watch may provide a useful lower-level alternative, but confirm what surface and vehicle access will suit your needs before treating it as a fully accessible substitute for the cliff route.

Marwick Head public transport and getting there

NorthLink sails from Scrabster to Stromness and from Aberdeen to Orkney's Hatston terminal on its Northern Isles route. Loganair serves Kirkwall by air; its current destination information lists links with Sumburgh, Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh, alongside seasonal Dundee flights. Compare your arrival port or airport with the onward journey before choosing accommodation, and leave a weather margin around the return sailing or flight. For the local approach, Orkney Islands Council's winter 2026 guide lists service 8S via Marwick Junction on selected days. The RSPB's older location text calls the bus route 8; use the current 8S timetable and confirm the walking connection from the road junction, which the reserve page describes as about 0.8 mile to the Choin car park. Service 8 is now described by the council as a school service. A pre-booked taxi from Stromness or Kirkwall may suit a fixed watching window better. Drivers use the B9056 between Skaill and Birsay, following the brown reserve sign. National Cycle Network route 1 passes close to the reserve.