Short birdwatching visit · RSPB
Trumland
Brinian · KW17 2PU
Trumland offers an upland walk on Rousay through wet heath, blanket bog, willow scrub and rocky ground. The reserve's breeding birds include Curlew, Red-throated Diver, Merlin and Short-eared Owl, although visitors should enjoy them from the established trail without approaching breeding places. Its hills provide wide views across Orkney, making the route an outing for landscape as well as birds. Rough ground and gradients require more preparation than a short lowland reserve visit, and the ferry journey needs planning.
Birds and seasons
- Curlew — Typically spring and summer
- Cuckoo — Typically spring and summer
- Merlin — Typically year-round
- Short-eared Owl — Typically year-round
Plan your visit
- Hides and viewpoints
- Views are from the public trail and island road; no enclosed hide is described.
- Paths
- A roughly three-mile waymarked trail has rough, steep sections.
- Toilets
- No reserve toilets; facilities at the heritage centre open during ferry times.
- Parking
- Use parking at the pier, about three-quarters of a mile from the reserve entrance.
- Dogs
- Keep dogs on a short lead during breeding season and around livestock.
- Accessibility
- Uneven hill paths and steep sections make the route unsuitable for a level-access outing.
Getting there: Arrive on Rousay by ferry; the reserve entrance is a walk from the pier.
Sources
Social preview photograph: Common Starling standing in grass in Oxfordshire. Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and converted for the preview.
Continue birding nearby
Nearest full guide: RSPB Cottascarth and Rendall Moss, 6.7 miles away in a straight line.