Loch Fleet Nature Reserve

Loch Fleet, a stunning sea loch, lies just north of Dornoch and is a haven for fauna and flora. It has a variety of species including otters and seals, wild fowl and sea birds, orchids and butterflies.

The loch is a large tidal basin with sand dunes, coastal heath and pine woods. The woodland supports species such as Scottish crossbills, crested tits and pine marten with each season having something different and magical to offer.

In spring, ospreys take to the skies above Loch Fleet Nature Reserve, swooping over the estuary, hunting fish in the shallows. The dunes burst into bloom with wildflowers in shades of yellow, pink, and purple, including birds-foot trefoil and delicate wild pansy.

Summer graces the pinewoods with twinflower, creeping lady’s-tresses, and candle-like one-flowered wintergreen. Butterflies flit among the dunes, and harbor seals welcome their pups in.

Come autumn, the reserve becomes a sanctuary for winter wildfowl like greylag geese and wigeon, along with waders such as dunlin and bar-tailed godwit, all quietly feeding on the estuary’s offerings. Fascinating fungi, including the rare toothed fungi, thrive, especially within the ancient pinewoods.

Winter brings a sense of tranquility, a perfect time to observe winter wildfowl, seals, and otters in peaceful coexistence. The landscape adopts a subdued palette with shades of grey and soft greens as lichen dominates. Above, skeins of geese form their characteristic V-shapes across the winter sky, marking the changing seasons.

There are coastal and woodland walks and 4 car parks all with information boards to help you find your way.

To read more about this gorgeous area, visit NatureScot here.