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  • Loch of Spiggie

Loch of Spiggie

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Address
RSPB Loch of Spiggie - 2.5 miles (4km) north of Sumburgh Airport. Turn off the B9122 near Scousburgh.
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HU374165
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The Lochs of Spiggie and Brow are located west of Boddam and are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Protection Area (SPA) for wildlife conservation. In autumn and winter the lochs attract large numbers of whooper swans, teal and wigeon,while in spring and summer arctic terns, great skuas, tufted ducks and mallards can be seen on the loch, and a variety of waders can be found on the marshes.

Plan your visit

Opening times

Open at all times.

Entrance charges

Free entrance to RSPB members
Yes
Adults
Free, but donations are very welcome.
Children
Free, but donations are very welcome.

Facilities

  • Viewing point

Accessibility

How to get here

By bus

From Lerwick, take the bus to Sumburgh Aiport. To reach the loch, alight at Robin's Brae and walk westwards for 2.5 miles (4 km).

By road

If you are visiting are visiting by car, turn off the B9122 near Scousburgh about 2.5 miles (4 km) north of Sumburgh Airport.

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

By boat: Shetland can be reached by ferry from Aberdeen or Thurso, via Orkney, to Lerwick. Contact Northlink Ferries on 0845 6000 449.
By plane: Flights from Orkney, Aberdeen, Inverness, Edinburgh or Glasgow operated by Loganair and Flybe.

Get directions from Google Maps
View on What3Words
RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Contact Loch of Spiggie

  • RSPB Loch of Spiggie - 2.5 miles (4km) north of Sumburgh Airport. Turn off the B9122 near Scousburgh.
  • shetland@rspb.org.uk
  • 01950 460800
  • Find us on facebook

What will you see?

Our star species

    Standing Lapwing illustration

    Lapwing

    In spring, lapwings can be seen tumbling through the air around Loch of Spiggie.

    Male Tufted Duck

    Tufted duck

    Tufted ducks can be seen on Loch of Spiggie throughout the year.

    Redshank, summer plumage

    Redshank

    Redshanks breed on the damp grassland here.

    Snipe illustration

    Snipe

    These cryptically-coloured waders can be seen here throughout the year.

    Whooper swan

    Whooper swan

    Loch of Spiggie is one of Shetland's most important lochs for whooper swans, which are present from October to April.

Seasonal highlights

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter

On spring evenings, long-tailed ducks can be seen displaying in their breeding plumage. Hear skylarks displaying.

See a variety of nesting waders including oystercatchers, lapwing, curlew, snipe and redshanks. Tufted ducks and mallards also breed on the loch. Arctic terns, kittiwakes and great skuas often use the loch for bathing.

Loch of Spiggie becomes one of Shetland's most important lochs for wildfowl, especially whooper swans which are returning from their breeding grounds.

The wildfowl are still present in large numbers, especially whooper swans and winter ducks.

About Loch of Spiggie

Habitat

This shallow loch was formed when a sea voe was cut off by the formation of a sand bar. It now attracts a large number of swans, ducks and geese. The two small adjacent marshes and wider farmland provide breeding areas for waders such as lapwing, curlew, snipe, oystercatcher and redshanks in spring and summer.

Conservation

The Loch of Spiggie was once a voe, or sea inlet, until it was cut off from the sea when sand dunes formed. Now, the lochs of Spiggie and Brow are two of the largest, naturally nutrient-rich lochs in Shetland. As well as supporting a wealth of wildlife including whooper swans, this botanically-rich area is home to three nationally-scarce plants including slender-leaved pond weed.

RSPB Scotland manages the reserve to protect these special features and to provide homes for important numbers of breeding waders.

Site information

In recognition of their national and international importance for nature, the lochs of Spiggie and Brow and the adjacent marshes form a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Protection Area.

The Loch of Spiggie reserve has a viewing hide at the north shore of the loch.

Read our blog and recent sightings

  • A month in Shetland - Keith's sabbatical

    My sabbatical on Shetland was planned from mid-May to mid-June, as although quite early in the season for many species so far north, it is a key time to help with breeding bird survey work, and there's a chance of seeing an exciting species or two on...

    Posted 22/06/2022 by Beth A
  • Phalarope season

    This week has seen the start to our favourite part of the year – red-necked phalarope monitoring time!  Once a week for the next six weeks we’ll be visiting phalarope breeding sites in Shetland to record the number of birds and the behaviour they are...

    Posted 17/06/2022 by Beth A
  • Wader data and photography, all in days work for the reserve team

    Hello, the last few weeks for the reserve team have involved lots of different surveys and many miles walked! We have nearly completed our wader surveys, breeding bird squares and AECS wader surveys across Shetland. So far the numbers seem to be good...

    Posted 08/06/2022 by Tirrick8
  • Survey season in full swing

    Welcome back to the RSPB Shetland blog We’re properly into survey season at the moment and taking advantage of all the good weather windows to get our work done. The team have been all across Shetland, carrying out surveys at Spiggie and Mousa aswell...

    Posted 27/05/2022 by Beth A
More blogs and sightings

Activities and events

Leisure activities

For more information on events and to book tickets, please visit events.rspb.org.uk/lochofspiggie 

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