Short birdwatching visit · RSPB
Brodgar
- Tier
- Good stop nearby
- Best season
- spring and summer
- Headline birds
- Golden Plover · Snipe · Curlew
- Parking
- Use the Ring of Brodgar car park, which has Blue Badge spaces.
- Hides
- Birdwatching is from the public trail and open viewpoints.
- Step-free
- Not stated by the operator
Stennes · KW16 3JZ
Brodgar combines freshwater birdwatching with Orkney's Neolithic landscape between the lochs of Harray and Stenness. The grassy reserve supports breeding waders, and its open setting makes it possible to watch both fields and water during one short walk. In spring the sounds and displays of Curlew, Snipe and Lapwing are part of its appeal. In winter the surrounding lochs attract wildfowl. A flower-rich meadow adds summer interest beside the trail near the Ring of Brodgar.
Birds and seasons
- Golden Plover · Headline bird — Typically autumn and winter Source for Golden Plover
- Snipe · Headline bird — Typically spring and summer Source for Snipe
- Curlew · Headline bird — Typically spring and summer Source for Curlew
- Lapwing — Typically year-round Source for Lapwing
Plan your visit
- Hides and viewpoints
- Birdwatching is from the public trail and open viewpoints.
- Paths
- A wide grassy trail has gentle inclines, muddy sections and two benches; there are no steps or stiles.
- Toilets
- No reserve toilets; facilities are in Stenness and Finstown.
- Parking
- Use the Ring of Brodgar car park, which has Blue Badge spaces.
- Dogs
- Keep dogs close, preferably on a short lead, during breeding season and around livestock.
- Access notes
- The approach includes a boardwalk, road crossing and rough grassy ground.
- Step-free access
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
Getting there: The reserve is reached from the Ring of Brodgar public car park.
Sources
Social preview photograph: Common Starling standing in grass in Oxfordshire. Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and converted for the preview.
Nearby special trips
- Birsay Moors · 7.5 straight-line miles
- North Hill · 27.8 straight-line miles
- Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve · 78.5 straight-line miles
Continue birding nearby
Nearest full guide: RSPB Cottascarth and Rendall Moss, 6.0 miles away in a straight line.
- The Loons and Loch of Banks · 7.2 miles in a straight line
- Birsay Moors · 7.5 miles in a straight line
- Hobbister · 7.6 miles in a straight line