← Back✦ Historic site

Brough of Ontoft, site

📷 Ian Balcombe · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

WildlifeBirdsSeasonal

Dogs welcome

Getting here

58.82621, -2.96775

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
🛝Playground 196m away — built-in entertainment for younger visitors alongside the wider site

🌤️ Visiting this summer

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
🛝Playground 196m away — built-in entertainment for younger visitors alongside the wider site

Good to know

🐕Dogs welcome

ParkingPlayground

Best for

6 activities

Wildlife

Very strong match

Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals; Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals

Free

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Starling, Oystercatcher, House Sparrow +90 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Starling, Oystercatcher, House Sparrow +90 more · last seen 2025

Free

Seasonal nature

Strong match

Plants — Yorkshire-fog, Foxglove, Bush Vetch +61 more · last seen 2025; Plants — Yorkshire-fog, Foxglove, Bush Vetch +61 more · last seen 2025

Free

Heritage

Strong match

Historic site

Free

Foraging

Good match

Plants — Hogweed, Potato, Gooseberry +4 more foraging species

Varies

Insect spotting

Good match

Insects — Eristalis pertinax, Marmalade Hoverfly · last seen 2025; Insects — Eristalis pertinax, Marmalade Hoverfly · last seen 2025

Free

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

1 signed route nearby

Signed route nearby

Hoxa HeadWalking route

Named routeOrkney walks

🚴

Cycling

1 signed route nearby

Signed route nearby

EuroVelo 12 - North Sea Cycle Route - part United Kingdom 9Cycling route

Named routeRef EV12International cycle route

Wildlife to spot

11,525 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

11,525 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds68 species

summerautumn

2025

Hooded Crow · Great Black-backed Gull · Starling · Redshank · Raven +63

Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
RedshankTringa totanus
RavenCorvus corax
Rock DoveColumba livia
Common GullLarus canus
ShelduckTadorna tadorna
CurlewNumenius arquata
WigeonMareca penelope
House SparrowPasser domesticus
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
RobinErithacus rubecula
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
BlackbirdTurdus merula
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
Greylag GooseAnser anser
SwallowHirundo rustica
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponica
GreenfinchChloris chloris
LapwingVanellus vanellus
DunnockPrunella modularis
Herring GullLarus argentatus
ShagGulosus aristotelis
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
EiderSomateria mollissima
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
JackdawColoeus monedula
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
DunlinCalidris alpina
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
RazorbillAlca torda
LinnetLinaria cannabina
FulmarFulmarus glacialis
TealAnas crecca
GannetMorus bassanus
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
KittiwakeRissa tridactyla
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
TurnstoneArenaria interpres
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
Mute SwanCygnus olor
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
Black GuillemotCepphus grylle
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii
Red-throated DiverGavia stellata
Common TernSterna hirundo
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
KestrelFalco tinnunculus
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
Lesser RedpollAcanthis flammea cabaret
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
QuailCoturnix coturnix

🌿

Plants14 species

summer

2025

Potato · Garden Parsley · Yorkshire-fog · Alder · Wall Speedwell +9

PotatoSolanum tuberosum
Garden ParsleyPetroselinum crispum
Yorkshire-fogHolcus lanatus
AlderAlnus glutinosa
Wall SpeedwellVeronica arvensis
GooseberryRibes uva-crispa
FeverfewTanacetum parthenium
White StonecropSedum album
Meadow VetchlingLathyrus pratensis
Common LiverwortMarchantia polymorpha
White CloverTrifolium repens
SelfhealPrunella vulgaris
FoxgloveDigitalis purpurea
Garden LobeliaLobelia erinus

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

11,525 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds68 species

summerautumn

2025

Hooded Crow · Great Black-backed Gull · Starling · Redshank · Raven +63

Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
RedshankTringa totanus
RavenCorvus corax
Rock DoveColumba livia
Common GullLarus canus
ShelduckTadorna tadorna
CurlewNumenius arquata
WigeonMareca penelope
House SparrowPasser domesticus
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
RobinErithacus rubecula
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
BlackbirdTurdus merula
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
Greylag GooseAnser anser
SwallowHirundo rustica
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponica
GreenfinchChloris chloris
LapwingVanellus vanellus
DunnockPrunella modularis
Herring GullLarus argentatus
ShagGulosus aristotelis
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
EiderSomateria mollissima
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
JackdawColoeus monedula
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
DunlinCalidris alpina
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
RazorbillAlca torda
LinnetLinaria cannabina
FulmarFulmarus glacialis
TealAnas crecca
GannetMorus bassanus
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
KittiwakeRissa tridactyla
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
TurnstoneArenaria interpres
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
Mute SwanCygnus olor
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
Black GuillemotCepphus grylle
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii
Red-throated DiverGavia stellata
Common TernSterna hirundo
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
KestrelFalco tinnunculus
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
Lesser RedpollAcanthis flammea cabaret
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
QuailCoturnix coturnix

🌿

Plants14 species

summer

2025

Potato · Garden Parsley · Yorkshire-fog · Alder · Wall Speedwell +9

PotatoSolanum tuberosum
Garden ParsleyPetroselinum crispum
Yorkshire-fogHolcus lanatus
AlderAlnus glutinosa
Wall SpeedwellVeronica arvensis
GooseberryRibes uva-crispa
FeverfewTanacetum parthenium
White StonecropSedum album
Meadow VetchlingLathyrus pratensis
Common LiverwortMarchantia polymorpha
White CloverTrifolium repens
SelfhealPrunella vulgaris
FoxgloveDigitalis purpurea
Garden LobeliaLobelia erinus

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Ian Balcombe · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

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🌱South Ronaldsay Golf ClubUrban park300 m→🌱South Ronaldsay Golf ClubUrban park300 m→🌱South Ronaldsay Golf ClubUrban park400 m→🌱Hope Community Play ParkUrban park600 m→🌱Hope Community Play ParkUrban park600 m→🌱Hope Community Play ParkUrban park600 m→

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