What to see and where in Tayside and Grampian

Fantastic scenery...

This is one of the best times to get up to see Corrie Fee NNR  . It is one of Britain's most important sites for arctic-alpine plants, and many of them flower in spring and early summer.  There is lots of new interpretation to see at the Ranger Base, and a new leaflet that you can download here or pick up at the Base.

By this time of year at the Muir of Dinnet NNR  , the woods are bursting with birdsong, with willow warblers, tree pipits and thrushes singing out! And listen out for drumming woodpeckers. Why not visit our new viewpoint?

... plenty of life

As the season progresses at Loch Leven NNR  , the graceful courtship of Great Crested Grebe commences and nest building for all species begins in earnest. At Mary's Knowe and other sites around the loch holy grass comes into seed early in the season.  Its distinctive scent was historically used to fragrance church doorways.

There are many birds to look for at Forvie NNR  , such as sandwich terns, which travel back from western Africa to nest each year. Skylarks, once such a familiar sound in the countryside, can be heard high over the heather moorland of the reserve. Walking out to the mouth of the river from Newburgh, grey seals can usually be seen lazing on the sand banks or bobbing in the current.

The lizards will be lazily basking among the gorse bushes along the main paths at St Cyrus NNR  . The wild flowers are appearing, with red dead nettle, lesser celandine, butterbur and coltfoot all flowering.  Honey bees and the first butterflies are busy now on sunny days, visiting each of the flowering gorse bushes. The sound of skeins of pink footed geese are now fading away, but have been replaced by bird song and the calls of peregrine and buzzards preparing for their nesting season on the cliffs.