Balranald RSPB reserve

About this reserve

Sweeping sandy beaches, a craggy foreshore peppered with rockpools, wind-sculpted sand dunes and wildflower-rich grassland. Welcome to Balranald nature reserve. ? ? Found on the beautiful Scottish island of North Uist, this Hebridean wildlife haven is a fantastic place to learn traditional crofting agriculture while you spot Corncrakes, Lapwings and maybe even Porpoises out in the bay. Balranald is a key site in the UK Corncrake recovery programme. We work with local crofters to grow late-cut hay crops, which provide early cover for Corncrakes to breed in. Balranald is also home to many other breeding birds, including Red-necked Phalarope, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Redshank, Lapwing and Snipe. We also see farmland birds, such as Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting, Twite, Skylark and Song Thrush. There are no public baby changing facilities within a reasonable distance of this reserve. Three miles (4.5 km), mainly flat circular nature trail. Allow approximately 1-2 Mainly natural and uneven crofting land, with stony and soft/ wet areas. BBQs are a fire risk, endangering other people and the precious wildlife and habitats here. They are not permitted on the reserve at any time. Please keep dogs under control at all times. This nature reserve is important for wildlife. RSPB Scotland welcomes responsible access, in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. During the ground-nesting bird breeding season (1 April to 15 August) we would ask that you keep your dog close to you, preferably on a short lead. Livestock present for most of the year, keep your dog under close…

From the RSPB, reproduced under fair-use summary for visitor information.