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  • Noup Cliffs

Noup Cliffs

All covid rules and restrictions have now been lifted in Scotland. We will continue to make our reserves and centres as safe as possible for all. Please help protect yourself and each other by using covid sense, washing or sanitising your hands, wearing masks if appropriate and giving everyone space to enjoy their day. Thank you and we hope you enjoy your visit.
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Address
RSPB Noup Cliffs, Orkney KW17 2DW, UK
Grid ref
HY392499
What3Words
battle.palettes.escape

Discover a seabird city on a spectacular walk along the top of Noup Cliffs, 76 metres above the churning ocean. Marvel at the sights and sounds of thousands of seabirds and don't miss the delicate wildflowers which grow along this wildest of wild coastal paths.

Plan your visit

Opening times

Open at all times.

Entrance charges

Free entrance to RSPB members
Yes
Adults
Free, but donations are very welcome.
Children
Free, but donations are very welcome.

Facilities

  • Car park
  • Viewing point
  • Nature trails
  • Educational facilities

Accessibility

  • Full accessibility information (external website)

How to get here

By train

There is no public transport to the reserve.

By bus

There is no public transport to the reserve.

By road

From Pierowall village, towards the north end of the island, turn west at the school, following the signs to Noup Cliffs. Turn left at the junction past Noltland Castle, following the road up the hill, eventually passing through Noup Farm. Follow the gravel road to the Noup Lighthouse where there is a car park at the reserve entrance. The gravel road to the reserve entrance should only be attempted in a 4x4 vehicle.

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

Westray is reached by a roll on-roll off ferry from Kirkwall, which can take passengers and vehicles - visit Orkney Ferries for more information. It can also be reached by plane from Tingwall Airport - visit the Loganair site for details.

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
View on What3Words
RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Group booking information

Group visits are welcome, however the road past Noup Farm is a rough track and care should be taken by all vehicles. For more information, please contact the Orkney office on 01856 850176.

Schools booking information

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

Contact Noup Cliffs

  • RSPB Noup Cliffs, Orkney KW17 2DW, UK
  • orkney@rspb.org.uk
  • 01856 850176
  • Find us on facebook

What will you see?

Our star species

    Arctic tern

    Arctic tern

    Arctic terns nest at Noup Cliffs, but be careful not to stray too close to their nests, as they will attack!

    Gannet illustration

    Gannet

    Look for stunning gannets cruising around at the base of the cliffs and fishing out to sea.

    Guillemot illustration

    Guillemot

    Although ungainly above water, underwater they are agile and manoeuvrable.

    kittiwake adult

    Kittiwake

    Visit Noup Cliffs in spring and early summer and your ears will be filled with their calls.

    Puffin, adult in summer plumage

    Puffin

    You can enjoy the comical antics of puffins in spring and early summer.

Nature spectacles

Visit in June to enjoy the frenetic activity of the seabird city at its best with the sights, sounds and smells of thousands of seabirds rushing to raise their chicks before returning to sea for the winter.

Seasonal highlights

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter

Seabirds return to the cliffs to breed, including guillemots, gannets, puffins and kittiwakes. At the beginning of May, Arctic terns arrive to begin breeding.

The coastal plants are in full bloom along the cliff tops. You can see seabirds feeding chicks on the cliff ledges too.

Whales and dolphins, although not common, can occasionally be seen on calm days.

Fulmars and gannets can be seen offshore during the winter months. The seas can be impressive during periods of wild and stormy weather, but take care as the cliff edges are dangerous in high winds.

About Noup Cliffs

Habitat

A spectacular cliff-top walk. Marvel at the sights, sounds and smells of thousands of jostling seabirds, but don't miss the delicate wildflowers along this wild coastal path.

Conservation

We are maintaining the spectacular sea cliffs for the benefit of breeding populations of gannets, guillemots, fulmars, razorbills and puffins, while protecting the site from disturbance and introduced mammalian predators.

We monitor the breeding populations of our seabirds, and the results are fed into national monitoring schemes to help inform policy on seabird conservation measures. Our wider work on Westray also includes surveying for corncrakes and monitoring wader and tern populations across the island.

Site information

Reaching more than 76 metres above the sea, these dramatic cliffs house Orkney's largest seabird colony. The reserve is small, at only 14 hectares, but once seen, it's never forgotten!

Walk along the cliff path in the summer and you'll see an array of wildflowers, while below you on the cliffs, gannets, guillemots, kittiwakes and razorbills will be nesting. Puffins are seen daily, and whales and dolphins are occasionally spotted.

Take care on the paths. The importance of the seabird cities is recognised by designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Protection Area (SPA).

Latest forum posts

  • Vandelism at RSPB reserve Brodgar

    I've just been reading sadly that there has been vandalism at RSPB reserve Brodgar in Orkney. It’s nothing to do with any wildlife. But sadly the historical stone circle at that RSPB reserve has been covered in graffiti. It a big criminal effence to ...

    Posted 11/04/2019 by THOMO
  • Wrapping up the Fortnight

    Our fortnight is over, back to the daily grind - but time for a last thread to finish off our time in the Orkneys. You may have noticed a lack of Bonxies on the previous threads - I was simply saving them up.  They get a bit of a bad press as Pirates...

    Posted 25/06/2018 by Whistling Joe
  • Do You Ever Feel Like You're Being Watched?

    There's a lot of coastline to stroll along on Orkney, some of it very dramatic, like the cliffs here at Yesnaby.  With the winds pushing the waves, it's very impressive Incidentally, the car was parked on the clifftops, just out of shot top right.  W...

    Posted 22/06/2018 by Whistling Joe
  • Island Hopping

    We're staying on Mainland, but there are lots of smaller islands you can catch a ferry to go and see.  One of the closest and most obvious is Hoy, so the other day we packed our lunch and caught the boat.  The ferry bounced around a bit on the way ac...

    Posted 20/06/2018 by Whistling Joe
read our forum

Latest blog posts

  • Stoat Snippet 102

    Welcome to the latest news and updates from the Orkney Native Wildlife Project New to our blog and want to find out more about the project, how to volunteer with us or have a question?  Visit our Facebook page, our website or email us at info@on...(r...

    Posted 01/07/2021 by Orkney Native Wildlife Project
  • Stoat Snippet 101

    The latest blog from the Orkney Native Wildlife Project, the world's largest stoat eradication, explaining the impact of invasive non-native species during this year's Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) week.(read more)

    Posted 28/05/2021 by Orkney Native Wildlife Project
  • Curlews in Orkney - Outrageous Goals, Extravagant Hope , by Richard Clubley

    photo courtesy of RSPB Images When Stephen Hawking was writing “A Brief History of Time” someone advised he would lose half the potential readership with each equation he included; so he settled on just e=mc² in the entire book. I’m thinking the same...

    Posted 21/04/2021 by EleanorD9
  • Stoat Snippet 100

    Welcome to the latest news and updates from the Orkney Native Wildlife Project New to our blog and want to find out more about the project, how to volunteer with us or have a question? Visit our Facebook page, our website or email us at stoatsig...(r...

    Posted 21/04/2021 by Orkney Native Wildlife Project
read our blog

Activities and events

Activities for children and families

For more information on events and to book tickets, please visit events.rspb.org.uk/noupcliffs

Leisure activities

Birdwatching, walking, photography, botany.

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