Print pageAbout The Loons and Loch of Banks
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Image: Mike Weedon
The Loons and Loch of Banks are the largest remaining wetlands in Orkney, and the perfect places to see wetland wildlife at its best. Enjoy the tranquillity of pools surrounded by yellow flag iris, while the sounds of wading birds, ducks and geese fill the air.
The reserve supports several species of breeding duck, including wigeons and pintails, and there are impressive numbers of wading birds, such as lapwings, snipe and curlews. In winter, these wetlands attract several hundred ducks and at The Loons a flock of up to 100 Greenland white-fronted geese.
The reserve is also home to the great yellow bumblebee, one of the country’s rarest bees and confined to Orkney, Caithness and the Western Isles.