Montrose Basin is an enclosed estuary of the river South Esk covering 750 hectares, home to over 80,000 migratory birds – including pink-footed geese, Arctic terns, knots and sedge warblers. Our four-star visitor centre offers a great day out for all the family in Angus.
Address: Montrose Basin, Rossie Braes, Angus DD10 9TA
Why visit?
Highlights include:
- Telescopes and binoculars set up and ready to use
- Interactive toys and games – including microscopes and puzzles
- Regular wildlife events – guided walks, children’s activities
- Formal and informal education programmes for school groups run all year round
- Fairtrade tea and coffee available – relax with panoramic views across the Basin
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Range of wildlife gifts available from our gift shop
Best time to visit?
- Easter to Oct for activities
- Apr to Aug for sand martins
- Oct to Feb for wintering geese
- Anytime for wildfowl and waders
Visit for:
- birdwatching
- coasts
- geology
- scenery
- mammals
Other information
This tidal basin is an important roosting and feeding area for a variety of passage migrants, and is internationally important for breeding eiders and wintering waders and wildfowl, attracting up to 80,000 pink-footed geese in winter.
Events
Find out what events are taking place at Montrose Basin in the coming months by clicking the button below.
Montrose Basin has many warbler species. Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers can be regularly seen in the summer at the Lurgies and the visitor centre. It’s always difficult to show them to visitors though, because as soon as you have spotted and identified them, they have snuck back into the reeds. However, in my opinion, our easiest identified warbler is the Sedge Warbler. Sedge Warbler amongst reeds © Mark Woodfin These small, elusive and rather skittish Warblers are…
Estuaries are truly special places and Montrose Basin is no exception. The mixing of North Sea salt water and fresh water of the River South Esk in this unusual enclosed estuary has created a fantastic ecosystem. Although tens of thousands of birds inhabit Montrose Basin throughout the year, most of the animal life is hidden from sight. Beneath the surface of the mud flats lies a busy world where smaller, but no less important, forms of life thrive. Estuaries are…
Spring in Scotland marks the return for many migrant birds that come to breed over the summer months, one of them being swallows. They are part of a family of passerine birds with a very distinctive appearance. They are small and agile with dark glossy blue backs, red throats and pale underneath. They are 18cm in length and have a wingspan of 34cm and weigh about 19g, which is the same weight as 5 raspberries! They arrive around April/May time…
As my internship is coming to an end I have decided to make a blog telling just how much I have learnt over the past 3 months here at the Montrose Basin Visitor Centre! I live just outside of Montrose but am ashamed to admit that I had only visited the Visitor Centre a few times until this June. I had taken part in events throughout school and clubs but never spent enough time at the windows to appreciate how…
Hoverflies have been a common sight at the Montrose Visitor Centre, both inside and outside! But why are there so many of them about? Hoverflies are coldblooded insects which come out during the warmer months, where there is an increase in all insect activity levels and therefore more food. Though they look very much like wasps, they cannot sting so are harmless to people. They are actually beneficial in your garden! They are great pollinators and also their larvae feed…
© Scottish Wildlife Trust This week, we are still exploring where our waders go when they leave the Basin at the end of winter. The focus this time will be on the smaller waders, those whose weight rarely exceeds 200g. But small size does not limit these birds – some of them travel hundreds or thousands of miles! Dunlin © Andy Wakelin. These small birds have distinctive black bellies in summer. Dunlin…
Montrose Basin is one of the most important sites for migratory waders on the Scottish east coast. Every autumn, thousands upon thousands of birds either pass through or stop to wait out the worst of the cold winter weather. Then, come spring, most disappear, returning to their breeding grounds. But where do they go? Mostly, they are returning to lands far to the north. But not all! Curlew © Scottish Wildlife Trust. These are our largest…
It’s a real treat to come into the Montrose Basin Visitor Centre and see the Sand Martin Wall. Every visitor who comes in asks about it! Whether they want to know what the wall is for, why the holes are numbered or just what the birds are doing flying into the hole at full speed; the wall is always being pointed out and is a great topic of conversation at our windows. Our Sand Martin Wall was built in 2002…