By Does Your Duck Quack · Planning updated 27 October 2026
Plan Orkney birdwatching island by island. On Mainland, Marwick Head offers seabird cliffs, while Cottascarth and Rendall Moss provide moorland, heath and wet grassland with Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl and Merlin among their birds. Birsay Moors adds broad blanket-bog views and spring and summer waders from established public facilities. Brodgar combines fields and freshwater watching between the lochs of Harray and Stenness, with a trail reached from the Ring of Brodgar car park. Hobbister changes the view towards Waulkmill Bay and Scapa Flow, combining moorland and coastal birds on a rougher waymarked route. Hoy, Noup Cliffs on Westray and North Ronaldsay have separate onward connections and island arrangements. Shapinsay’s Mill Dam offers a focused wetland hide visit, with breeding waders and winter wildfowl giving different seasonal interests. These destinations provide more than one kind of Orkney outing: cliff-colony watching, a Mainland moorland session, a loch-side walk or a separately planned inter-island day, each with its own public approach.
RSPB Marwick Head: NorthLink sails from Scrabster to Stromness and from Aberdeen to Orkney's Hatston terminal on its Northern Isles route. Read the complete transport and return plan.
RSPB Hoy: Orkney Ferries operates a passenger route from Stromness to Moaness in North Hoy and a separate vehicle route from Houton to Lyness. Read the complete transport and return plan.
Orkney · 7 days · May–July; autumn and winter variants
Where to stay in Orkney
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Birsay
Compare RSPB Marwick Head and RSPB Cottascarth and Rendall Moss from Birsay.
RSPB Marwick Head: approximately 11 minutes / 4.8 miles by road. Measured 2026-10-26; excludes traffic, parking and walking. Open road directions
Road estimate to the published visitor approach; traffic, parking and walking are additional.
RSPB Cottascarth and Rendall Moss: approximately 25 minutes / 12.7 miles by road. Measured 2026-10-26; excludes traffic, parking and walking. Open road directions
Road estimate to the published visitor approach; traffic, parking and walking are additional.
Compare RSPB Marwick Head and RSPB Cottascarth and Rendall Moss from Stromness.
RSPB Marwick Head: approximately 23 minutes / 11.8 miles by road. Measured 2026-10-26; excludes traffic, parking and walking. Open road directions
Road estimate to the published visitor approach; traffic, parking and walking are additional.
RSPB Cottascarth and Rendall Moss: approximately 23 minutes / 12.9 miles by road. Measured 2026-10-26; excludes traffic, parking and walking. Open road directions
Road estimate to the published visitor approach; traffic, parking and walking are additional.
Compare RSPB Marwick Head and RSPB Cottascarth and Rendall Moss from Kirkwall.
RSPB Marwick Head: approximately 36 minutes / 21.6 miles by road. Measured 2026-10-26; excludes traffic, parking and walking. Open road directions
Road estimate to the published visitor approach; traffic, parking and walking are additional.
RSPB Cottascarth and Rendall Moss: approximately 20 minutes / 11.4 miles by road. Measured 2026-10-26; excludes traffic, parking and walking. Open road directions
Road estimate to the published visitor approach; traffic, parking and walking are additional.
RSPB Marwick Head: Free entry; see operator for parking. RSPB Hoy: Free entry; see operator for parking.
Can I take a dog to bird reserves in Orkney?
RSPB Marwick Head: Follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and keep dogs close, preferably on a short lead, during the RSPB's stated ground-nesting season of 1 April–15 August. RSPB Hoy: Dogs should be kept on a short lead from 1 April to 15 August and in livestock areas, as requested by RSPB Scotland.
When is the best time for birdwatching in Orkney?
RSPB Marwick Head: Spring and summer seabird colony · winter coastal birds. RSPB Hoy: Seasonal wildlife throughout the year.
Which bird reserves in Orkney suit wheelchair users?
RSPB Marwick Head: If you use a wheelchair, scooter or pushchair, discuss the exact approach with the Orkney reserve team before travelling rather than assuming that a short route is step-free. RSPB Hoy: These details make a full walk unsuitable for some wheelchair users, pushchairs and visitors with limited stamina.
Can I go birdwatching in Orkney without a car?
RSPB Marwick Head: NorthLink sails from Scrabster to Stromness and from Aberdeen to Orkney's Hatston terminal on its Northern Isles route. RSPB Hoy: Orkney Ferries operates a passenger route from Stromness to Moaness in North Hoy and a separate vehicle route from Houton to Lyness.
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