Short birdwatching visit · NatureScot
St Cyrus National Nature Reserve
- Tier
- Good stop nearby
- Best season
- Spring birds; winter waterbirds
- Headline birds
- Peregrine · Short-eared Owl · Grasshopper Warbler
- Parking
- The main car park has marked Blue Badge bays and separate longer-vehicle spaces.
- Hides
- The wildlife hide no longer exists following winter 2023/24 storms.
- Step-free
- Not stated by the operator
Near Northwater Bridge, north of Montrose
St Cyrus offers a varied coastal visit with grassland, dunes, cliffs and an estuary setting. NatureScot names Stonechat, Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer in its spring bird plan, with other coastal birds adding interest through the year. Start at the visitor-centre approach and choose a public route that suits the ground and conditions. The former wildlife hide was lost after winter storms, so plan around the current open viewing places instead. A patient visit can compare birds near the vegetation with movement along the shore, without needing to approach the cliff edges or resting flocks.
Birds and seasons
- Peregrine · Headline bird — Spring and summer Source for Peregrine
- Short-eared Owl · Headline bird — Winter Source for Short-eared Owl
- Grasshopper Warbler · Headline bird — Spring Source for Grasshopper Warbler
- Stonechat — Spring Source for Stonechat
- Reed Bunting — Spring Source for Reed Bunting
- Yellowhammer — Spring Source for Yellowhammer
Plan your visit
- Hides and viewpoints
- The wildlife hide no longer exists following winter 2023/24 storms.
- Paths
- Public paths and beach routes offer different conditions; the village-side approach is steep.
- Toilets
- Toilets are beside the visitor centre; the Changing Places facility requires a RADAR key.
- Parking
- The main car park has marked Blue Badge bays and separate longer-vehicle spaces.
- Dogs
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
- Access notes
- Some navigation routes use a steep, narrow approach unsuitable for larger vehicles.
- Step-free access
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
Getting there: Use the signed minor road off the A92 immediately north of Northwater Bridge. Avoid the steep Scotston of Kirkside approach when it is unsuitable for your vehicle.
More visitor context
The southern part of the reserve is not open from April to August to protect breeding birds; follow the current signed routes.
Sources
Social preview: original typographic artwork by Does Your Duck Quack.
Nearby special trips
- Seaton Cliffs · 14.3 straight-line miles
- Loch of Lintrathen · 29.2 straight-line miles
- Eden Estuary Local Nature Reserve · 32.8 straight-line miles
Continue birding nearby
Nearest full guide: Montrose Basin, 5.0 miles away in a straight line.
- Seaton Cliffs · 14.3 miles in a straight line
- Balgavies Loch · 15.3 miles in a straight line
- Murton Nature Reserve · 17.1 miles in a straight line