Finding Birds
Where to watch birds on Arran
Habitats of the North
To get a flavour of the habitats in the north of the island take the B880 hill road, ‘The String’, to the west; fork right onto unclassified moor road to Machrie Bay; then by A841 main road north along the shore to Lochranza, east over ‘The Boguillie’ pass and back along the shore to Brodick.
Habitats of the South
To get a flavour of the habitats in the south of the island take B880 hill road, ‘The String’, west to Blackwaterfoot on the coast; then south 10km along A841 to an unclassified road, ‘The Ross’, up the Water of Sliddery valley, over the moors to Lamlash and back along A841 to Brodick. Alternatively continue past “The Ross” road end through the villages of Kilmory, Kildonan, Whiting Bay, and on to Lamlash and Brodick.
On both routes hills, moor, shore and sea can be scanned. There are many lay-bys and pulling in places. Walking tracks lead into the interior from several locations. Maps and guide books are available from Tourist Information Office at Brodick Pier and local shops.
Around the Villages
Click on the name of any village on the map to get further information on the surrounding habitats and birds seen in that area.
This further information also includes a short introductory walk in each location.
While these introductory walks are not strenuous, footpaths can be muddy or rough. Particular care is needed in wet or icy conditions.
Appropriate footwear should be worn. The walks have been selected to take you into a range of habitats providing opportunities to see a wide variety of birds.
Hopefully these walks will give a taste of birding on Arran. Local shops have a wide range of walking guides and maps enabling other areas of Arran to be explored. For more information on how the Arran Access Trust Arran Access Trust is maintaining and improving access opportunities on Arran click here
For all walks on Arran check the Walkers Guide on the Arran Access Trust website and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code on NatureScot website https://www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot/
To Contact a Local Guide
To contact a local wildlife bird guide click on links.
How to be a good birdwatcher
Click logo for a helpful leaflet.
Birdwatching in Ayrshire and Arran
This useful leaflet is available as a pdf download
Created by the Ayrshire Branch of the SOC.
