Nigg Bay

We are working hard to make our nature reserves safe and ready for our staff, visitors and wildlife. Many have now re-opened in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, although some facilities such as toilets are not yet available. All our other reserves remain closed for now. Please see our COVID-19 updates page for the latest information (link below).

Address: RSPB Nigg Bay, Tain IV19, UK

Grid ref: NH807730

See our updates page to see which reserves are open.

Nigg Bay is a vast area of mudflat, saltmarsh and wet grassland on the Cromarty Firth. In 2003, part of the sea wall was breached to increase the size of the saltmarsh and it now attracts graceful pintails, pink-footed geese and wintering wigeons.

Plan your visit

Open at all times, but the best time to visit is a couple of hours either side of high tide between October and March.

Free entrance to RSPB members: No

Adults: Free, but donations are very welcome

Children: Free, but donations are very welcome

Facilities

Car park
Pushchair friendly
Viewing point

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

Fearn, 4.5 miles away (7 km). From Fearn station turn right onto B9165 then immediately right down lane to Balinroich. Continue for 1.5 miles (2.5 km) until the T junction and turn right. After 0.4 miles (0.7 km) turn left at T junction onto B9175. Continue for 2.5 miles (4 km); the reserve car park is on your right and is signposted.

By bus

Stagecoach bus route 25X runs from Inverness to Tain and goes right past the reserve car park.

By bike

National Cycle Network Route 1

By road

From the A9 heading north, turn right at the Nigg roundabout onto the B9175 signed to Nigg. Continue on this road for approximately 3.75 miles (6 km) until you see the RSPB sign on the right.

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

A ferry sails from Cromarty to Nigg Ferry, half-hourly from June to September. On arrival at Nigg Ferry the reserve is about 2.1 miles (3.5 km) up the B9175, on the left.

Get directions from Google Maps

RSPB reserves on Google Earth

10 degrees, Cloudy

Contact Nigg Bay

RSPB Nigg Bay, Tain IV19, UK
nsro@rspb.org.uk
01463 715000

What will you see?

Our star species

Reed bunting

Have a look on the gorse bushes for this smart looking bird.

Dunlin

Look carefully for this little bird running across the mudflats.

Curlew

Distinctive with it's large curved beak for probing the mud and it's 'bubbling' call.

Whooper swan

These graceful swans can sometimes be seen at high tide.

Bar-tailed godwit

These elegant waders feed on the mudflats.

Nature spectacles

Nigg Bay reserve is at it's most spectacular from October as the numbers of pink-footed geese and wintering ducks build as they arrive to spend the winter in the shelter of the Cromary Firth. At the mid-winter peak, more than 10,000 birds stop to feed and shelter over the winter. The bay is massive - to experience the sight and sound of thousands of wintering wildfowl it is best to visit 2-3 hours before or after the high tide when the ducks, waders and geese are closest to the hide.

Thousands of pink-footed geese can be seen feeding in the bay on their return migration to their breeding grounds. Lapwings and oystercatchers prepare for the breeding season - watch for the lapwings' distinctive display flight and listen for their enchanting call.

Lapwings, oystercatchers, snipe and redshanks are attracted to the wet grassland to breed. Listen for the oystercatchers' distinctive piping call in flight.

Pink-footed geese return to the bay on migration from Iceland, along with thousands of wading birds and wildfowl. They follow the tide in and out of the bay, feeding along the tideline.

Bar-tailed godwits, dunlins and knots join the pink-footed geese and wigeons, and the ever-present oystercatchers, lapwings and redshanks to take advantage of the rich feeding to be had in the bay.

Visit any time between October and March and you're sure to see countless wading birds and wildfowl, such as bar-tailed godwits, knots, pink-footed geese and wigeon, feeding and roosting on the mudflats, moving with the tide in and out of the bay.

About Nigg Bay

Habitat

Much of Nigg Bay reserve is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Protection Area for birds (SPA) and a RAMSAR wetland of international importance. The reserve contains an extensive area of intertidal mudflats which provide feeding and shelter for thousands of wintering ducks and waders. The saltmarsh supports many varied plants typical of the habitat including sea aster and glasswort. The wet grasslands which can been seen from the hide are managed specifically for breeding waders.

During the spring and summer northern marsh orchids are dotted amongst the grass and amphibious bistort grows in the pond. Grazing the grassland creates a mix of short open grass and tall tussocky areas, excellent conditions for lapwing, snipe and redshank. The scrape in front of the hide provides further muddy areas ideal for feeding and raised islands for nesting birds.

Conservation

The wet grassland either side of the hide is grazed by sheep and cattle belonging to a local farmer, this helps to create a short tussocky grassland that is favoured by lapwing and snipe. Volunteers help to rotationally coppice the gorse bushes to create an open habitat for the waders and to encourage close dense gorse growth that benefits yellowhammers and stonechats.

In 2017, a scrape was created in front of the hide to provide better breeding and feeding areas for lapwing and redshank. Invasive Spartina anglica (Common cord grass) is an aggressive hybrid which quickly grows across the mudflats and saltmarsh outcompeting the saltmarsh plants and can reducing feeding and roosting areas for wintering birds. A program of herbicide treatment across large patches and hand removal of young plants is a major part of the conservation work at Nigg Bay.

Site information

This nature reserve is important for wildlife. RSPB Scotland welcomes responsible access, in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

RSPB Nigg Bay reserve is part of a group of reserves run by the Central Highland Reserves team, which also includes Udale Bay on the opposite side of the Cromarty Firth, Culbin Sands and Loch Ruthven.

Marshside

Lytchett Fields

Arne

Nigg Bay