Birsay Moors

We're working hard to make our nature reserves safe and ready for our staff, visitors and wildlife. Many have now re-opened in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, although some facilities are not yet available. Some reserves remain closed for now. See our COVID-19 updates page for the latest information (link below).

Address: RSPB Birsay Moors, Orkney KW17 2PL, UK

Grid ref: HY340240

See our reserves Covid-19 updates page for which sites are open and other important details.

The wild and windswept beauty of Birsay Moors offers visitors a chance to see iconic Orkney birds such as hen harriers, short-eared owls, arctic skuas and red-throated divers. Take a walk up nearby Mid Hill for breathtaking panoramic views across the island. You won't be disappointed.

Plan your visit

Open at all times.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: Free, but donations are very welcome.

Children: Free, but donations are very welcome.

Facilities

Car park
Picnic area
Viewing point
Educational facilities

Accessibility

Full accessibility information (external website)

How to get here

By bus

Buses stop at Evie, 2 miles (3.2 km) to the east of the reserve (Bus Route 6) and also in Dounby, 4.5 miles (7 km) to the west of the reserve (Bus routes 7 and 8). Up to date travel information can be found on travelinescotland.com.

By bike

Cycle route 1 of the National Cycle Network runs through Evie, 2 miles (3.2 km) to the east of the reserve.

By road

The reserve is best viewed from the Hillside Road (B9057) between Evie and Dounby, from the Birsay Moors hide on Burgar Hill (follow the brown tourist signs from the A966 north of Evie), or from Durkadale, to the east of Greeny Hill.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Other ways to get there

For flights and ferry information to Orkney, contact VisitOrkney at West Castle Street, Kirkwall, KW15 1GU. Website: visitorkney.com Tel: 01856 872856.

Get directions from Google Maps

RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Group visits are welcome. Care should be taken at the Birsay Moors hide to avoid disturbance to sensitive breeding species such as the red-throated divers by following the guidance on signs next to the hide.

School visits are available on our Orkney reserves on a variety of topics. Please contact the Orkney office on 01856 850176 for further details.

10 degrees, Light rain

Contact Birsay Moors

RSPB Birsay Moors, Orkney KW17 2PL, UK
orkney@rspb.org.uk
01856 850176

What will you see?

Our star species

Arctic skua

Arctic skuas head inland to breed on Birsay Moors in the summer.

Curlew

In spring, you can hear their gorgeous, 'bubbling' song.

Hen harrier

Hen harriers can be seen here at any time of year.

Merlin

Keep your eyes peeled for a dashing merlin on a high-speed hunt.

Red-throated diver

Spot them in front of the Birsay Moors hide in summer.

Nature spectacles

In spring or summer, Birsay Moors offers the chance to escape into the immersive experience of a wild moorland. Take time to unwind amidst the bobbing heads of cotton grass, as the evocative sounds of dunlin and golden plover drift towards you on the wind and hen harriers dance in the skies above you.

Our hide on Burgar Hill is the perfect place to view the courtship displays of red-throated divers in spring and to follow their family growing as the season progresses. Look out for sky-dancing hen harriers across the moorland. Listen out for the distinctive calls of golden plovers, curlews and dunlins from the Hillside Road.

If you walk out onto the moorland, beware of dive-bombing bonxies (great skuas) protecting their young. Hillside Road, which runs through the reserve, is the ideal spot to watch for hen harriers and short-eared owls gliding over the heather, the fantastic aerial flights of breeding Arctic skuas and catch a the glimpse of a merlin dashing past at top speed chasing after pipits and larks.

Delight in the subtle autumnal colour changes of the moorland habitat. Look out for short-eared owls on roadside fenceposts, fixing you with a hard stare as you pass by, or drifting silently over the ground as they hunt for voles.

Visit Durkadale at dusk to watch hen harriers coming into their communal roost on the hillside, one of the biggest roosts in Scotland! Listen out for the squeal of wintering water rails in the wetlands.

About Birsay Moors

Habitat

The dramatic sweep of moorland and blanket bog, dotted with isolated lochans, is home to some of Orkney’s special birds, such as hen harriers, short-eared owls and red-throated divers. At Durkadale and Crooback, on the edge of the moorland, farmland waders thrive and Orkney voles are plentiful in the long grassland areas, which provide an ideal hunting ground for birds of prey.

Conservation

Birsay Moors is an internationally important site for breeding hen harriers, red throated divers and an assemblage of moorland birds, and hosts one of the largest hen harrier communal winter roost sites in Scotland. Management of the reserve focusses on providing an undisturbed and protected haven for the range of species which find a home here, and areas of eroded blanket bog have also been targeted for restoration work.

On the grassland fringes, light grazing by cattle produces the ideal conditions for breeding waders, and additional areas are left ungrazed to provide the long grass favoured by Orkney voles, an important food item for many birds of prey.

Partners

Thanks to SNH Peatland Action Fund.

Site information

The reserve covers 2,350 hectares, with huge swathes of moorland and blanket bog fringed by smaller areas of grassland and wetland. The site is part of the West Mainland Moorlands Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the Orkney Mainland Moors Special Protection Area (SPA), designated for its specialist moorland habitats and breeding birds.

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Activities and events

Activities for children and families

We hold family-friendly events in the summer.

Leisure activities

Walking: Although there are no formal nature trails, the moors are criss-crossed with old peat cutting tracks. Fantastic views of West Mainland Orkney can be seen from the top of Mid Hill, which can be accessed along a track leading off the Hillside Road. However, please take care to avoid disturbing sensitive ground-nesting species during breeding season (1 April - 15 August), and we would ask that you keep your dog close to you.
Photography: Birsay Moors offers fantastic opportunities for photography, with beautiful wilderness scenery, an array of special wildlife and constantly changing moods and colours.

Marshside

Lytchett Fields

Arne

Birsay Moors