📌 Nature reserve near Bankhead, Dumfries & Galloway
★★★
The wetlands bordering the Solway Firth are a paradise for bird species. Each winter, thousands of birds descend on the fields and mud flats to over-winter here, taking advantage of abundant food supplies and a (nearly) frost-free climate. The area is a National Nature Reserve covering a huge 55 square kilometres, of which a small proportion falls under the remit of WWT Caerlaverock. Between approximately October and March it’s a fantastic place to watch Svalbard barnacle geese (the entire population overwinters here), pink-footed geese, whooper swans, various ducks and dozens of other bird species.
Whooper swans, mute swans and Canada geese on Whooper Pond 
Whooper swans, mute swans and Canada geese 
Scaup(?) 
Wigeon 
Female wigeon(?) 
Tufted duck 
Shovelers 
Teal 
Mallard ducks 
Greylag geese 
Svalbard barnacle geese 
Svalbard barnacle geese 
Roe deer 
Little egret 
Curlews 
Wigeons & godwits(?) 
Sunset over Back Pond & the Peter Scott observatory 
Mud flats 
Old farmhouse – now available for staying in
🌍 Location
📌 At minor road end 3 mi southeast of Bankend
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NY 051656
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 54.976191,-3.484093
❌ No public transport within 1 mi
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
⌚ Daily – best in winter
🎫 £9.04 adult / £5.45 child / free for WWT members
💬 The rest of Caerlaverock NNR (outwith WWT Caerlaverock) is free to visit and always open, though access and viewing is less convenient.
