Loch Druidibeg

Address: B890, Grogarry, Western Isles, Scotland, HS8 5RR

Grid ref: NF 78963 38220

What3Words: shun.reinstate.best

Take a walk on the wild side, and explore the moorland of Loch Druidibeg. Beautiful views across the loch and to the hills yonder highlight the range of habitats, from freshwater loch, through bog and moorland, with small patches of woodland interspersed between the peat.

Plan your visit

Open at all times

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: Free, but donations are very welcome

Children: Free, but donations are very welcome
Free entrance for first child
Free entrance for under 5s

Free entrance for carers: Yes

Facilities

Car park
Nature trails

Accessibility

How to get here

By bus

Bus W17 bus service runs north to south through Uist. Ask for Stilligarry road end, stating that it’s for the Nature Reserve. The bus will stop on the main road, a five-minute walk to the site entrance.

By road

By road From the A865 take the turn off sign posted for the reserve. It is located on South Uist to the north of Stilligarry and to the south of Grogarry. The reserve is accessed from the B890.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Other ways to get there

The Outer Hebrides are serviced by Caledonian MacBrayne ferries with regular ferries running from the mainland. See calmac.co.uk or call 0800 066 5000 for further information.

Get directions from Google Maps

View on What3Words

RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Contact Loch Druidibeg

B890, Grogarry, Western Isles, Scotland, HS8 5RR
lochdruidibeg@rspb.org.uk
07747 455 978
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What will you see?

Our star species

Hen harrier

Keep an eye on the skyline for the hen harriers hunting across the moorland.

White-tailed eagle

Large and imposing birds of prey that have been known to nest on the reserve.

Black-throated diver

Incredibly elegant breeding birds. The breeding call is spine-tinglingly good and can be heard in the early morning through springtime.

Common raven

In the winter, the raven rules the roost. Hundreds come to Loch Druidibeg to roost together, using the islands on the loch to provide a safe spot altogether.

Cuckoo

Listen out from early spring to see who can hear the first cuckoo of the season. Hairy caterpillars are their prey of choice, and there’s no shortage of them on the reserve.

The reserve turns green in springtime as the plants start to grow. Plenty of food attracts many different bird species, such as the willow warbler and golden plover. Hen harriers lay their eggs in secret hollows under the heather.

Listen out for the skylark, singing gloriously from the clouds. The sunshine is warm and a host of dragon and damselflies take to the air, hunting on the wing. Large spiders build webs between plants, but provide food for the wrens in their turn.

The hills bloom purple as the heather bursts into flower. The sweet scent makes for a lazy afternoon as the moorland flowers put on a show. Migration welcomes our wintering whooper swans and the warblers leave early in autumn.

Winter is a time for quiet. A merlin will hunt across the landscape, as groups of wildfowl feed on the loch. Tiny goldcrest dart through the tall pines, feeding on insects with seemingly boundless energy.

About Loch Druidibeg

Habitat

Heather dominated moorland with many bog areas surrounding a large freshwater loch that is studded with tree covered islands.

Conservation

Loch Druidibeg is a excellent example of Uist moorland and loch. The area has been managed by crofters for peat cutting and grazing animals. We are managing the area along with the crofters and landowners to benefit the diverse range of wildlife from carnivourous plants to the mighty sea eagle.

Site information

This reserve is important for wildlife. RSPB Scotland welcomes responsible access in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code

Loch Druidibeg