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Kirk Dam

✦ Ancient woodland60 ha

📷 Raibeart MacAoidh · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Plan your visit

AncientBirdsBluebells

Free entryDogs welcome60 ha

Getting here

55.82197, -5.06344

Open directionsv

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

▾

🐦99+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Mute Swan and Mallard
🌳Ancient woodland is at its best in summer here
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

🌤️ Visiting this summer

🐦99+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Mute Swan and Mallard
🌳Ancient woodland is at its best in summer here
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

Best for

7 activities

Ancient woodland

Very strong match

Free

Ancient woodland — continuous woodland since before 1600

Bird watching

Very strong match

Free

Birds — Mute Swan, Mallard, Grey Heron +96 more · last seen 2025; Reservoir — wildfowl and wading birds

Bluebell walks

Very strong match

Free

Ancient woodland — native bluebell habitat

Seasonal nature

Strong match

Free

Ancient woodland — bluebells, fungi and autumn colour; Plants — Japanese Knotweed · last seen 2020

Wildlife

Strong match

Free

Birds — Mute Swan, Mallard, Grey Heron +96 more · last seen 2025; Ancient woodland

Heritage

Good match

Free

Ancient woodland — historic landscape

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

▾

3 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

West Island WayWalking route48 km▾

Named routeLength 48 kmNational walking route

Bute Path NetworkWalking route▾

Named routeLocal walking route

Bute Pilgrimage Route - St BlaneWalking route▾

A walking pathway with accompanying notes to aid Christian reflection

Named routeRef 1Local walking route

🚴

Cycling

▾

1 signed route nearby

Signed route nearby

Bute Cycle NetworkCycling route▾

Named routeLocal cycle route

Wildlife to spot

7,782 records from NBN Atlas

▾

Wildlife to spot

7,782 records · NBN Atlas

🐦

Birds99 species

winterspringautumn

2025

Mute Swan · Mallard · Grey Heron · Cormorant · Herring Gull

+94 more species

All 99 birds recorded nearby (NBN Atlas)

Mute SwanCygnus olor
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
Herring GullLarus argentatus
WigeonMareca penelope
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
TealAnas crecca
Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
GoosanderMergus merganser2024
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
JackdawColoeus monedula
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
BlackbirdTurdus merula
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
Greylag GooseAnser anser
RobinErithacus rubecula
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
Common GullLarus canus2024
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
Canada GooseBranta canadensis
Black GuillemotCepphus grylle
DunnockPrunella modularis
House SparrowPasser domesticus
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
SwallowHirundo rustica
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
CurlewNumenius arquata
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2024
Great TitParus major2024
LapwingVanellus vanellus2024
Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
ShagGulosus aristotelis
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
SwiftApus apus
Great White EgretArdea alba
RedshankTringa totanus
MagpiePica pica
RookCorvus frugilegus
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
Sand MartinRiparia riparia
House MartinDelichon urbicum2024
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula2023
Water RailRallus aquaticus2022
Rock DoveColumba livia
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
GreenfinchChloris chloris
RavenCorvus corax2024
EiderSomateria mollissima2024
CootFulica atra2024
SnipeGallinago gallinago2023
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
CuckooCuculus canorus
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
GannetMorus bassanus
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
Rock PipitAnthus petrosus2024
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula2024
StonechatSaxicola rubicola2024
KestrelFalco tinnunculus2023
Lesser RedpollAcanthis flammea cabaret2023
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus2023
Tawny OwlStrix aluco2021
TurnstoneArenaria interpres
GadwallMareca strepera
Coal TitPeriparus ater
KingfisherAlcedo atthis2024
WhitethroatCurruca communis2024
DunlinCalidris alpina2024
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris2023
Mandarin DuckAix galericulata2022
TwiteLinaria flavirostris2021
Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia2021
Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibilatrix2021
SiskinSpinus spinus2021
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
ShelduckTadorna tadorna
Common GuillemotUria aalge
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis2024
JayGarrulus glandarius2024
Little EgretEgretta garzetta2024
White WagtailMotacilla alba alba2024
Great Northern DiverGavia immer2023
Coloeus monedula spermologusColoeus monedula spermologus2023
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus2023
GoldcrestRegulus regulus2023
Common RedpollAcanthis flammea flammea/rostrata2021
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus2021

🦌

Mammals5 species

springsummerautumn

2025

Hedgehog · Roe Deer · Red Squirrel · Rabbit · Brown Hare

🦎

Reptiles1 species

summer

2023

Slow-worm

🐸

Amphibians2 species

summer

2021

Common Toad · Common Frog

🐝

Insects5 species

springsummerautumn

2024

Twin-lobed Deerfly · 7-spot Ladybird · Ferdinandea cuprea · Orange Ladybird · Common Blue Damselfly

🌿

Plants1 species

summer

2020

Japanese Knotweed

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

7,782 records · NBN Atlas

🐦

Birds99 species

winterspringautumn

2025

Mute Swan · Mallard · Grey Heron · Cormorant · Herring Gull

+94 more species

All 99 birds recorded nearby (NBN Atlas)

Mute SwanCygnus olor
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
Herring GullLarus argentatus
WigeonMareca penelope
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
TealAnas crecca
Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
GoosanderMergus merganser2024
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
JackdawColoeus monedula
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
BlackbirdTurdus merula
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
Greylag GooseAnser anser
RobinErithacus rubecula
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
Common GullLarus canus2024
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
Canada GooseBranta canadensis
Black GuillemotCepphus grylle
DunnockPrunella modularis
House SparrowPasser domesticus
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
SwallowHirundo rustica
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
CurlewNumenius arquata
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2024
Great TitParus major2024
LapwingVanellus vanellus2024
Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
ShagGulosus aristotelis
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
SwiftApus apus
Great White EgretArdea alba
RedshankTringa totanus
MagpiePica pica
RookCorvus frugilegus
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
Sand MartinRiparia riparia
House MartinDelichon urbicum2024
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula2023
Water RailRallus aquaticus2022
Rock DoveColumba livia
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
GreenfinchChloris chloris
RavenCorvus corax2024
EiderSomateria mollissima2024
CootFulica atra2024
SnipeGallinago gallinago2023
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
CuckooCuculus canorus
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
GannetMorus bassanus
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
Rock PipitAnthus petrosus2024
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula2024
StonechatSaxicola rubicola2024
KestrelFalco tinnunculus2023
Lesser RedpollAcanthis flammea cabaret2023
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus2023
Tawny OwlStrix aluco2021
TurnstoneArenaria interpres
GadwallMareca strepera
Coal TitPeriparus ater
KingfisherAlcedo atthis2024
WhitethroatCurruca communis2024
DunlinCalidris alpina2024
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris2023
Mandarin DuckAix galericulata2022
TwiteLinaria flavirostris2021
Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia2021
Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibilatrix2021
SiskinSpinus spinus2021
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
ShelduckTadorna tadorna
Common GuillemotUria aalge
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis2024
JayGarrulus glandarius2024
Little EgretEgretta garzetta2024
White WagtailMotacilla alba alba2024
Great Northern DiverGavia immer2023
Coloeus monedula spermologusColoeus monedula spermologus2023
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus2023
GoldcrestRegulus regulus2023
Common RedpollAcanthis flammea flammea/rostrata2021
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus2021

🦌

Mammals5 species

springsummerautumn

2025

Hedgehog · Roe Deer · Red Squirrel · Rabbit · Brown Hare

🦎

Reptiles1 species

summer

2023

Slow-worm

🐸

Amphibians2 species

summer

2021

Common Toad · Common Frog

🐝

Insects5 species

springsummerautumn

2024

Twin-lobed Deerfly · 7-spot Ladybird · Ferdinandea cuprea · Orange Ladybird · Common Blue Damselfly

🌿

Plants1 species

summer

2020

Japanese Knotweed

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

22 photos from nearby open sources

▾

📷 Raibeart MacAoidh · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Kirk Dam - Isle of Bute

1 / 22

Photos

📷 Raibeart MacAoidh · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Kirk Dam - Isle of Bute

1 / 22

Events & activities nearby

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Bookable tours

Facilities

🅿️

Parking

1 nearby · 489m

✦ AncientFree entry🐶 Dogs

Good to know

£Free to visit — no entry charge
🐕Dogs welcome
🌿Ancient woodland — rare wildlife habitat

Weather for this location

Next 14 days

Loading local forecast…

Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

🌱Winter GardensUrban park1.9 km→⛪PresbyReligious grounds1.6 km→✦Mercat CrossHistoric site1.7 km→✦Rothesay CastleHistoric site1.7 km→⛪St Ninian's ChurchReligious grounds4.3 km→✦Augusta, Princess Dowager of Wales MonumentHistoric site4.3 km→

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