Brodgar

Discover a wildlife haven in the heart of Neolithic Orkney. You'll find the nature reserve at Brodgar in a spectacular setting, located between the lochs of Harray and Stenness, bordering the iconic Ring of Brodgar. Curlews, drumming Snipe, Lapwings, Dunlins, Redshanks and Oystercatchers all call this place home.

Sandwiched on a narrow strip of land between two lochs, Brodgar is the perfect place to scan through the large flocks of ducks, swans and grebes which feed and shelter on the edges of lochs Harray and Stenness. 

On crisp sunny mornings, the grassland areas are often dotted with hundreds of Golden Plovers and Lapwings and, if you're lucky enough for the wind to drop, the mirror-calm lochs will reflect back the images of the surrounding hills and hundreds of wildfowl. You may even see a seal basking on an isolated rock by the road, far inland from the sea.

A gentle stroll along our flower-rich trail will take you past the meadow, which hums with bees in summer. The grassland fields are alive with the bubbling calls of Curlews, the drumming of Snipe and the unmistakable display flight of Lapwings in breeding season. In winter, the lochs play host to a range of wildfowl, including ducks, swans and grebes.

Our aim at Brodgar is to give a helping hand to some of the wildlife which is being squeezed out of modern landscapes. Since 2001, we have been managing the land to help wildlife thrive with a special focus on Lapwings, Curlews, Redshanks, Snipe, Skylarks and Great Yellow Bumblebees. Our grassland areas are lightly grazed by cattle or mown in late summer to create the ideal conditions for waders to nest and raise their chicks.

The verges by the nature trail are managed for wildflowers and the site has become a real haven for Carder Bees and the rarer Great Yellow Bumblebee.