Apr 20, 2018 · Learn what to look for and the best spots to find Orkney’s local fauna and flora below. The first time visitor to Orkney will be surprised by the diversity of landscape across the islands, from high moorland to immense sea cliffs, unspoilt wetlands and pastures. This makes it a haven for a rich diversity of sea life, birdlife and mammals ashore.

Orkney supports nationally and internationally important populations of wildlife, some of which are extremely rare and declining across the rest of the British Isles. Located 10 miles north of mainland Scotland, Orkney is an archipelago of 70 islands, 20 of which are inhabited.

Wildlife tours are led across the Orkney Mainland and connected South Isles, to see Orkney’s seasonal wildlife, that can include rare Hen Harriers, Short Eared Owls, Curlews, Seals and of course Puffins.

Orkney has long been a haven for wildlife. Towering sea cliffs are home to thousands of birds – puffins, guillemots, gulls, gannets and kittiwakes can all be seen here – while our marshlands and sweeping moorlands are natural habitats for the likes of curlew, red-throated divers, hen harriers and other birds of prey.

Orkney is famed for its incredible wildlife, but these fertile islands are also home to a rich array of flowers and plants, and the insects that depend on them. There are around 500 species of native plants here, thriving in a vast range of habitats, including island shores, coastal heath, boggy wetlands and Hoy’s Highlands-esque landscape.

The Orkney Native Wildlife Project aims to safeguard the unique and internationally important native wildlife of Orkney by addressing the threat that invasive non-native stoats pose, as well as providing other community benefits.

From gulls and guillemots, to kittiwakes, waders and white-tailed eagles, Orkney’s birdlife is remarkably varied. The islands are home to no less than 13 RSPB nature reserves, and large numbers of migratory birds pass through too, with some surprising arrivals making an appearance here over the years.

Jun 4, 2023 · We plan to safeguard Orkney’s unique native wildlife by removing the invasive stoat population, which seriously threatens many species. Stoats were first seen in Orkney in 2010 and since then the population has become fully established.

Jul 26, 2021 · Orkney offers some of the best wildlife experiences to be had in the UK, home to an abundance of avian delights, fascinating marine life and eye-catching wildflowers. In spring and summer, some islands can feel as though they have been totally taken over by nature, the air full of birds and their song, the lochs speckled with bobbing otters and ...

In summer, breeding fulmars, razorbills, and gannets line the cliffs of Orkney. On these islands, exposed sandstone on the coast forms into perfect seabird ledges. Rabbits can be seen darting around grassier edges, and colourful puffins return from winter on the sea to nest in grassy cliffside burrows.