SC 20 · RSPB reserve guide
RSPB Marwick Head
Marwick, Orkney, Scotland · KW17 2NB
Guillemot, Fulmar, Purple sandpiper
Decide if the visit fits.
RSPB Marwick Head at a glance
Last checked 18 October 2026.
- Best time
- Spring and summer seabird colony · winter coastal birds
- Opening & entry
- Hours, admission and parking: see Entry below.
- Trails & visit length
- The RSPB describes a 2.5-mile circular walk from Marwick Bay up to the clifftop, returning along single-track roads.
- Accessibility
- The route to the cliff top is grassy and includes steep inclines.
- Facilities
- Marwick has no staffed visitor centre, café or shop.
- Dogs
- 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…
- Public transport
- NorthLink sails from Scrabster to Stromness and from Aberdeen to Orkney's Hatston terminal on its Northern Isles route.
Reserve overview
RSPB Marwick Head reserve and habitat
Guillemot, Fulmar, Purple sandpiper
Eight checks for a smoother visit.
Planning your visit to Marwick Head
Conditions change: check the operator and transport notices before travelling.
Marwick Head best time to visit and seasonal birds
Jan–Feb: typically focus on the Choin at Marwick Bay for turnstones, purple sandpipers and ringed plovers, the winter shorebirds named by the RSPB. A late-morning watch around a suitable tide can be more rewarding than an exposed climb in poor conditions. Scan offshore for sea ducks as well as examining the shore. Mar–Apr: usually the cliff colony builds towards its breeding season. Walk towards the Kitchener Memorial viewpoint in a calm morning interval and look for returning guillemots, fulmars and kittiwakes. Concentrate on the broad pattern of ledges and flying birds before trying to identify everything in one crowded section of rock. May–Jun: typically the strongest combination of nesting seabirds, cliff-top flowers and activity around the colony. Use the permitted viewpoint area near the memorial, leaving birds on the turf and ledges a clear space. Morning is a useful starting choice, but long northern daylight gives scope for an unhurried session later as well. Scan above and beyond the colony for patrolling gulls and skuas. Jul–Aug: usually favour July for the auk colony before birds begin leaving after breeding. Watch movements between ledges and sea, and study fulmars gliding along the cliff face. Start with good daylight and keep the return walk in mind, rather than being tempted to extend a session simply because summer evenings are long. Sep–Oct: typically shift towards a combined sea watch and shorebird visit at Marwick Bay. The Choin can be useful for ducks and waders, while safe cliff views offer a different perspective on offshore movement. Mid-morning is a practical starting point for comparing both areas if weather permits. Nov–Dec: usually choose the clearest daylight period for the shore, looking for purple sandpipers, turnstones and ringed plovers without pushing birds from feeding or roosting places. These are editorial suggestions based on typical seasons. Tide and weather should guide where to stand, while a secure shore-side watch may be the best use of a winter visit even when the clifftop is unsuitable.
RSPB Marwick Head opening times, entry and facilities
Admission checked 18 October 2026: the RSPB lists free entry for adults and children, including non-members, and its published reserve calendar gives twenty-four-hour access. There is no ordinary admission booking requirement. Make a first visit in daylight so that the grassy climb and coastal route are easy to judge. The operator identifies parking at Marwick Bay and an alternative small area at Cumlaquoy with room for about six cars. Its charges page does not state a separate parking price; establish any current vehicle charge before travelling rather than assuming a blank tariff means free parking. The generic suggestion to pay at a visitor centre is inconsistent with the facilities page's explicit statement that there is no centre; reserve admission itself is clearly free. Read the current RSPB notices and weather forecast before setting out, especially when a clifftop walk is central to the visit.
Marwick Head trails, hides and visit length
The RSPB describes a 2.5-mile circular walk from Marwick Bay up to the clifftop, returning along single-track roads. A shorter approach starts at Cumlaquoy, about half a mile each way to the cliff top. Use the information boards at the car parks to decide which route suits your time and conditions. The walk from the bay gives a gradual change from shore watching to the seabird colony and the Kitchener Memorial viewpoint. The Choin is the bay's low-tide lagoon, where waders and ducks can be watched from the car park area. This is a worthwhile destination in its own right, particularly outside the colony season. There are no enclosed hides or formal sheltered viewing structures. Keep a safe distance from cliff edges, and choose a stopping point that lets other walkers pass without squeezing towards the drop. Birds moving below you can be followed with binoculars from a secure position. Two-hour plan, editorial suggestion: choose either the shore and part of the bay route, or the shorter Cumlaquoy approach with a sustained colony watch. Trying to fit the full circular route into a tight window leaves little time to study birds. At the shore, compare feeding and resting areas; at the cliff, watch one stretch of ledges carefully rather than attempting a complete count. Full-day plan, editorial suggestion: begin with the Choin and Marwick Bay, then follow the circular route when conditions are suitable, taking a packed lunch break in a safe place away from the edge. Give the memorial viewpoint a generous watch and return with time for another shore session. Alternatively, split the day into two shorter visits around the most useful tide and light. This allows the landscape's different habitats to shape the outing without making a long exposed walk compulsory.
Marwick Head accessibility and step-free routes
The route to the cliff top is grassy and includes steep inclines. The RSPB warns that it can be wet and slippery, with two narrow kissing gates on the latter part of the trail. These features make the climb a substantially different proposition from watching at the bay. 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. Both parking areas have rough surfaces; Marwick Bay is described as hardcore. There are no height restrictions or lighting. One seat is located along the trail near the Choin, but a rest point should not be assumed wherever a longer climb becomes tiring. Consider wind exposure, balance and how you would retrace the route if conditions deteriorate. The nearest accessible toilets identified by the RSPB are RADAR facilities at the Bay of Skaill, about 4.1 miles south. The operator does not identify nearby baby-changing provision. A shore watch may provide a useful lower-level alternative, but confirm what surface and vehicle access will suit your needs before treating it as a fully accessible substitute for the cliff route.
Marwick Head visitor facilities
Marwick has no staffed visitor centre, café or shop. Bring food, water and warm clothing suitable for standing in an open coastal setting. The RSPB identifies ordinary public toilets at Palace Village in Birsay, around four miles away, and refreshments in Birsay or Skara Brae. There is no shelter at the viewing areas, so a waterproof cover for optics and a bag for carrying litter away are useful. Keep any picnic away from birds' feeding and resting places.
Marwick Head dog rules
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. Clear up after them and maintain safe control near the cliff. Visitors with assistance dogs are welcome at RSPB Marwick Head, including throughout its visitor routes.
Marwick Head public transport and getting there
NorthLink sails from Scrabster to Stromness and from Aberdeen to Orkney's Hatston terminal on its Northern Isles route. Loganair serves Kirkwall by air; its current destination information lists links with Sumburgh, Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh, alongside seasonal Dundee flights. Compare your arrival port or airport with the onward journey before choosing accommodation, and leave a weather margin around the return sailing or flight. For the local approach, Orkney Islands Council's winter 2026 guide lists service 8S via Marwick Junction on selected days. The RSPB's older location text calls the bus route 8; use the current 8S timetable and confirm the walking connection from the road junction, which the reserve page describes as about 0.8 mile to the Choin car park. Service 8 is now described by the council as a school service. A pre-booked taxi from Stromness or Kirkwall may suit a fixed watching window better. Drivers use the B9056 between Skaill and Birsay, following the brown reserve sign. National Cycle Network route 1 passes close to the reserve.
Useful bases for an early start.
Where to stay near Marwick Head
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- 01
Birsay
About 4.7 miles by road, roughly 11 minutes' drive (OSRM estimate, measured 18 October 2026; not live traffic).
Measured driving route · 18 October 2026. Map estimates exclude live traffic.
A nearby west-mainland base for repeated shore and cliff visits.Find places to stay in Birsay on Booking.com - 02
Stromness
About 11.8 miles by road, roughly 23 minutes' drive (OSRM estimate, measured 18 October 2026; not live traffic).
Measured driving route · 18 October 2026. Map estimates exclude live traffic.
The NorthLink arrival town for the Scrabster ferry.Find places to stay in Stromness on Booking.com - 03
Kirkwall
About 21.6 miles by road, roughly 35 minutes' drive (OSRM estimate, measured 18 October 2026; not live traffic).
Measured driving route · 18 October 2026. Map estimates exclude live traffic.
An Orkney town base for air arrivals and wider island journeys.Find places to stay in Kirkwall on Booking.com
Marwick Head official sightings, safety and contact
The RSPB Orkney team can be contacted at orkney@rspb.org.uk or 01856 850176. The published address is Marwick Head, Orkney, KW17 2NB. Describe whether you plan to use Marwick Bay or Cumlaquoy when requesting route advice, and give any equipment or gate-width needs clearly. The operator's location and facilities pages explain the two approaches, while the council's current bus guide is the better source for selecting a dated car-free connection.
Best months for this reserve
Nearby complete guides.
Bird reserves near Marwick Head
Stops with a purpose: use one as a contrasting habitat or weather-proof Plan B. Distances are straight-line estimates, not road journeys.
- About 9 miles away · A useful habitat changeRSPB Cottascarth and Rendall MossSpring and autumn passage; seasonal breeding and winter birds
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- About 19 miles away · A familiar habitatRSPB Noup CliffsSpring and autumn passage; seasonal breeding and winter birds