Brodgar

Tier levels in Scotland are under constant review and liable to change. Car parks and trails are open at the majority of our sites but please check below for full details. Please follow Scottish Government guidance on non-essential travel and if applicable stay local to your nearest reserves and green spaces. See our dedicated Covid-19 updates page for the latest safety information (link below).

Address: RSPB Brodgar, B9055, Stromness KW16 3JZ, UK

Grid ref: HY294135

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

Discover a wildlife haven in the heart of Neolithic Orkney. You'll find the nature reserve at Brodgar in a spectacular setting, located between the Lochs of Harray and Stenness, bordering the iconic Ring of Brodgar. Curlews, drumming snipe, lapwings, dunlins, redshanks and oystercatchers all call this place home.

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

Pushchair friendly
Picnic area
Guided walks
Viewing point
Educational facilities

Accessibility

Full accessibility information (external website)

How to get here

By bus

By bus - Bus number X1. Ask the driver to drop you at Ring of Brodgar stop. Walk approximately one mile (1.6 km) along B9055 to Ring of Brodgar reserve. Up to date travel information can be found on travelinescotland.com.

By road

From Stromness or Kirkwall, take the A965 and turn (left from Stromness or right from Kirkwall) onto the B9055 (signposted for Ring of Brodgar). Parking is available 1.5 miles (2.4 km) along this road on the right in a car park shared with the Ring of Brodgar archaeological site.

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

This nature reserve is important for wildlife. RSPB Scotland welcomes responsible access, in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
During the ground-nesting bird breeding season (1 April - 15 August) and in areas with livestock, we would ask that you keep your dog close to you, preferably on a short lead, and please clean up after your dog.

Group visits are welcome. For more information, please contact the Orkney office on 01856 850176. Coach parking is available in the Ring of Brodgar car park.

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

Downloads

Helping you find your way around. PDF, 632Kb

Brodgar trail guide

Contact Brodgar

RSPB Brodgar, B9055, Stromness KW16 3JZ, UK
orkney@rspb.org.uk
01856 850176

What will you see?

Our star species

Curlew

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

Lapwing

Watch the nesting lapwings here chasing predators that may come too close.

Oystercatcher

You can see oystercatchers between spring and autumn.

Redshank

Keep an eye out for the redshanks' display flights over the wet meadows in spring.

Skylark

Spring visits to Brodgar will be enriched by the beautiful song of skylarks.

Nature spectacles

With its stunning position sandwiched on a narrow strip of land between the brackish Loch of Stenness and the freshwater Loch of Harray, Brodgar can be a wonderful place to scan through the large flocks of ducks, swans and grebes which frequent the lochs.

A crisp sunny morning can see the grassland areas dotted with hundreds of golden plovers and lapwings, and if you are lucky enough for the wind to drop, the mirror-calm lochs will reflect back the images of the surrounding hills and the hundreds of wildfowl present. You may even see a seal basking on an isolated rock by the road, far inland from the sea.

As you walk around the world-famous Ring of Brodgar stones, open your ears to the magical soundscape of displaying waders. Watch for breeding ducks on the wetter grassland areas. If you visit early in the morning or late in the evening, you may be lucky and catch a glimpse of boxing hares in the meadows.

The reserve is one of the best places on mainland Orkney to see the rare great yellow bumblebee (once widespread but now found only in north Scotland), feeding in amongst our flower-rich meadows. Enjoy the colourful mix of flowers blooming alongside the trails. On warm sunny days, spot great yellow bumblebees feeding on the red clover – look out for a yellowish-brown bee with a distinct band of black between the wings. Watch out for lapwings, curlews and redshanks, all busy raising their families.

Scan through the flocks of wading birds which gather around the reserve. Look out for short-eared owls, merlins and hen harriers hunting over the grasslands while you listen out for the cries of migrating geese overhead.

See if you can spot small flocks of farmland birds such as twites, reed buntings and skylarks feeding in the grassy areas. Large flocks of golden plovers and lapwings can sometimes be seen on the fields. Scan the lochs for Slavonian grebes, goldeneyes, scaups and large flocks of wigeons and teals.

About Brodgar

Habitat

A gentle stroll along our flower-rich trail will take you past the meadow, which hums with bees in summer. The grassland fields are alive with the bubbling calls of curlews, the drumming of snipe and the unmistakable display flight of lapwings in breeding season. In winter, the lochs play host to a range of wildfowl, including ducks, swans and grebes.

Conservation

Our aim at Brodgar is to give a helping hand to some of the wildlife which is being squeezed out of modern landscapes. Since acquiring the reserve in 2001, we have been managing the land to benefit a range of species, including lapwings, curlews, redshanks, snipe, skylarks and great yellow bumblebees. Our grassland areas are lightly grazed by cattle or mown in late summer to create the ideal conditions where waders can nest and raise their chicks and a range of wildfowl nest on the wetter areas.

Since starting this management, curlews and skylarks have returned to breed here. We’ve been busy converting one of our fields into a flower-rich meadow – by mowing annually and removing the cuttings we leave nutrient-poor soil that's perfect for flowers like red clover, yellow rattle and bird’s-foot trefoil. We’ve also boosted this process by adding in seed-rich green hay from flower-rich sites. The verges by the nature trail are also managed for wildflowers and the site has become a real haven for carder bees and the rarer great yellow bumblebee.

Site information

The reserve covers 34 hectares of grassland, meadows and loch shore, and was acquired in 2001. The site borders the heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site, and surrounds the internationally renowned Ring of Brodgar standing stones.

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Activities and events

Activities for children and families

The grassy nature trail through the reserve is suitable for children and pushchairs. We hold events throughout the year, all of which will be suitable for families. Historic Environment Scotland offer free guided walks around the Ring of Brodgar throughout the year.

Leisure activities

Archaeology: The reserve borders the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site and surrounds the impressive standing stones of the Ring of Brodgar. The Ness of Brodgar, an archaeological dig site of international importance, is also adjacent to the reserve and is open during the summer.

Walking: The 2-mile (3.2 km) trail around the reserve offers beautiful views of the heart of West Mainland Orkney, with the towering hills of Hoy in the background.

Photography: You will be spoilt for choice for photographic opportunities at Brodgar nature reserve, with stunning scenery, plentiful wildlife and atmospheric archaeology all on offer.

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