RSPB Noup Cliffs

Noup Cliffs best time to visit and seasonal birds

January: January is an exposed coastal visit rather than a reliable colony spectacle. The Noup Coastal Trail is the official watching route, but the summer Gannet and auk targets should not be expected on occupied ledges. Assess wind before committing and accept that a brief landscape stop may be enough.

February: Use the Noup Coastal Trail only when conditions make a clifftop walk sensible. The reserve's Gannet, Guillemot and Puffin story is chiefly a summer reason to return. Winter watching requires a flexible aim and an easy retreat, rather than an attempt to reproduce a crowded breeding-season view.

March: Typically spring begins to change seabird activity, but the directly supported target window here is deliberately conservative. Use the Noup Coastal Trail for a broad sea-and-cliff assessment rather than assuming every auk has returned. Keep the visit's length tied to safe visibility and the exposed route underfoot.

April: A spring visit can compare offshore movement with any activity on the cliffs from the Noup Coastal Trail. The operator's summer highlights include Gannet and Guillemot, but their May–July target chips are not a fixed arrival schedule. Watch what is present and leave space for changing conditions.

May: Typically May is a strong time to settle on the Noup Coastal Trail for Gannet, Guillemot and Kittiwake activity. The historical reserve-manager inventory also supports Fulmar and Shag. Keep the observation within the official route and use optics instead of moving closer to a cliff edge.

June: Our choice is a generous June watch from safe positions on the Noup Coastal Trail. Compare Guillemot and Razorbill shapes, then search patiently for Puffin amongst the movement. A scope can help with distant birds, but it should stand securely without narrowing the space other walkers need.

July: Use the Noup Coastal Trail for a mixed summer watch: Gannet and the auks first, then Fulmar, Shag and the gulls. Great and Arctic Skua are supported by the historical reserve monitoring inventory. Their presence is a possibility to assess from the route, not an invitation to approach breeding habitat.

August: Typically the colony's character changes as summer progresses, and an August visit should not assume the May–July picture. Begin with a broad scan from the Noup Coastal Trail and let actual bird activity set the pace. The historical inventory is evidence of occurrence, not an annual abundance guarantee.

September: Autumn makes visibility and safe wind conditions more useful planning questions than an expectation of occupied auk ledges. The Noup Coastal Trail remains the permitted viewpoint sequence for any offshore seabirds. Puffin and Guillemot are summer targets here; do not promise them from an empty-looking September cliff.

October: An October watch should be a weather-led decision on the Noup Coastal Trail. Summer Gannet and auk interest does not establish a dependable autumn checklist. A clear, manageable coastal view can still be worthwhile, but deteriorating light or wind is a reason to shorten the visit promptly.

November: Use the middle of a suitable daylight window if walking the Noup Coastal Trail in November. Keep expectations separate from the breeding-season Gannet and auk spectacle. The rough, potentially wet route deserves as much attention as the sea, and a sheltered alternative elsewhere may be the better decision.

December: A winter return is about a safe coastal observation rather than a guaranteed seabird list. Assess the Noup Coastal Trail before committing beyond an easy retreat. The verified Gannet, Kittiwake and auk targets belong to the conservative summer window, while the day's actual offshore movement remains unpredictable.

Noup Cliffs opening times, entry and facilities

Our choice is to give the official coastal trail enough time for a settled seabird watch, rather than treating Noup as a quick lighthouse photograph. The path is rough and can be wet, while the cliffs demand room and caution even when the birds are close. Use binoculars first to understand the flight lines and the larger groups, then a steady telescope for a distant bird if conditions permit. The final gravel approach is specifically advised for four-wheel-drive vehicles by the RSPB; ordinary road access should not be inferred from the existence of parking at the lighthouse. Check the wider island travel arrangements separately and allow a safe return. No hide or chain of constructed viewpoints has been invented to make the facilities sound more elaborate. The official coastal trail is the public watching route, and the broader island bird list is not a promise of what will appear from it.

Noup Cliffs trails, hides and visit length

Noup Cliffs is a cliff-top walk with seabirds beneath you and open sea beyond. The Noup Coastal Trail is part of the wider West Westray cliffs walk between Noup Head and Kirbest. The RSPB also describes a circular option from Backarass Farm, using road and track towards the lighthouse before returning along the coastal trail and turning inland. Carry a map and choose a route that fits the conditions; the coast is a landscape to read slowly, rather than a sequence of hides. Two-hour plan: if you have safely reached the lighthouse entrance, devote the first part of the visit to scanning the nearest cliff faces. Pick out the larger white gannets before working through the smaller auks and kittiwakes. Continue only a modest distance along the marked coastal line, pause again, then return by your outward route. If approaching on foot from farther away, use the available time for the approach and a shorter watch instead of trying to force in the same itinerary. Full-day plan: make Westray the day's destination, with the reserve as its main birdwatching stop. In suitable weather, experienced walkers can choose the RSPB's longer Backarass circuit, allowing generous pauses to compare the seabird ledges and watch the offshore water. Keep a reserve of time for the inland return and onward island travel. Finish with a final stationary scan rather than extending the walk until the transport margin disappears. Take all litter away and keep food securely packed in wind. In calm conditions, compare the birds sitting on ledges with those arriving from the sea: the changing balance tells more about colony activity than a single count. Keep a notebook accessible so a gust does not scatter loose papers across the grass.

Noup Cliffs accessibility and step-free routes

The RSPB describes rough, uneven grass terrain which can be wet and boggy. The Noup cliff-top trail has a kissing gate and no stiles or steps, but that description should not be read as an accessible surfaced route. There is no shelter or seating provision identified for the coastal walk. Exposed edges and crosswinds make balance, confidence and weather judgement particularly important; stay well back from the drop and abandon the coastal section if gusts make standing difficult. The gravel approach to the reserve entrance should only be attempted in a 4x4 vehicle, according to the operator. The alternative approach from Noup Farm to the lighthouse is a 2.4 km walk. Do not drive an ordinary hire car up the track on the assumption that a lighthouse car park makes the approach a standard road. Discuss any vehicle restrictions with the hire provider and use the RSPB access statement to assess the whole journey. A view from the car park may suit someone unable to complete the cliff path, but reaching it remains the significant obstacle.

Noup Cliffs public transport and getting there

Westray is reached through Orkney's inter-island network. Orkney Ferries publishes the Kirkwall–Westray sailing timetable and booking information, while Loganair operates inter-island flights from Kirkwall. Book the outward and return island connection together and leave space for disruption; a mainland Orkney arrival is only the first stage of this outing. The RSPB states that there is no public transport to the reserve itself. Arrange an island taxi or suitable local transfer in advance, discussing where the vehicle can safely leave you and collect you. Walking the final approach can be a sensible part of the day, but it needs to be included in the available time. Do not assume that the ferry arrival, a transfer and the cliff walk form a guaranteed day-trip connection. The current Orkney Ferries timetable is the source for sailings, not a generic journey planner's suggested connection.