Costa - site of 1st turbine to be connected to the national grid
Plan your visit
🦅 Birds🦉 Wildlife🍂 Seasonal
Dogs welcome
Places › Scotland › Highlands and Islands › Orkney Islands Getting here
59.14862, -3.20586
Open directionsv Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
▾ 🐦 60+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Greylag Goose and Fulmar ✦ Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting 🐕 Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days 🌤️ Visiting this summer
🐦 60+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Greylag Goose and Fulmar ✦ Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting 🐕 Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days 🦅 Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — Greylag Goose, Fulmar, Oystercatcher +57 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Greylag Goose, Fulmar, Oystercatcher +57 more · last seen 2025
Free
🦉 Wildlife
Very strong match
Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals; Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals
Free
🍂 Seasonal nature
Strong match
Plants — Frog Orchid, Lesser Spearwort, Common Dog-violet +145 more · last seen 2025; Plants — Frog Orchid, Lesser Spearwort, Common Dog-violet +145 more · last seen 2025
Free
Plants — Common Nettle, Common Sorrel, Water Mint +6 more foraging species
Varies
🦋 Insect spotting
Good match
Insects — Green-veined White, Meadow Brown, Small Tortoiseshell +7 more · last seen 2019; Insects — Green-veined White, Meadow Brown, Small Tortoiseshell +7 more · last seen 2019
Free
Trails nearby Within roughly 5 km 1 signed route nearby
Signed route nearby
EuroVelo 12 - North Sea Cycle Route - part United Kingdom 9 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref EV12 International cycle route
Show on map Photos Wind turbine tower remains, Costa Hill Orkney 1984
‹ ›
Weather for this location Next 14 days Nearby places Useful places within 5 km
All Historic
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Wildlife to spot
651 records · National Biodiversity Network
▾
Wildlife to spot 651 records · National Biodiversity Network 🐦 Birds 46 species
spring summer
2025 ▾
Greylag Goose · Fulmar · Oystercatcher · Curlew · Great Black-backed Gull +41
Greylag Goose Anser anser Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis2024 Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus2024 Curlew Numenius arquata2024 Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus2024 Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarrellii2024 Great Skua Stercorarius skua Herring Gull Larus argentatus2024 Starling Sturnus vulgaris2021 Hooded Crow Corvus cornix2024 House Sparrow Passer domesticus2023 Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis2020 Common Gull Larus canus2020 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus2024 Swallow Hirundo rustica2024 Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe2023 Redshank Tringa totanus2024 Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo2024 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus2024 Lapwing Vanellus vanellus2023 Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator2023 Shag Gulosus aristotelis2019 Skylark Alauda arvensis2024 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto2024 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos2024 Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2021 Raven Corvus corax2020 Gannet Morus bassanus2019 Rock Dove Columba livia2019 Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus2019 Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla2019 Puffin Fratercula arctica2019 Eider Somateria mollissima2024 Pheasant Phasianus colchicus2024 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2024 Snipe Gallinago gallinago2024 Mute Swan Cygnus olor2024 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula2022 Wigeon Mareca penelope2022 Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle2021 Common Guillemot Uria aalge2021 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus2021 Linnet Linaria cannabina2019 Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus2019 Gadwall Mareca strepera2019 Shoveler Spatula clypeata2019 Brown Hare
Brown Hare Lepus europaeus Sylvicola punctatus · Nicrophorus investigator · Acrossus rufipes
Sylvicola punctatus Sylvicola punctatus Nicrophorus investigator Nicrophorus investigator Acrossus rufipes Acrossus rufipes Coltsfoot · Common Dog-violet · Common Scurvygrass · Hare's-tail Cottongrass · Silverweed +15
Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara Common Dog-violet Viola riviniana Common Scurvygrass Cochlearia officinalis Hare's-tail Cottongrass Eriophorum vaginatum Silverweed Potentilla anserina Lesser Celandine Ficaria verna Thrift Armeria maritima Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot 651 records · National Biodiversity Network 🐦 Birds 46 species
spring summer
2025 ▾
Greylag Goose · Fulmar · Oystercatcher · Curlew · Great Black-backed Gull +41
Greylag Goose Anser anser Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis2024 Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus2024 Curlew Numenius arquata2024 Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus2024 Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarrellii2024 Great Skua Stercorarius skua Herring Gull Larus argentatus2024 Starling Sturnus vulgaris2021 Hooded Crow Corvus cornix2024 House Sparrow Passer domesticus2023 Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis2020 Common Gull Larus canus2020 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus2024 Swallow Hirundo rustica2024 Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe2023 Redshank Tringa totanus2024 Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo2024 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus2024 Lapwing Vanellus vanellus2023 Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator2023 Shag Gulosus aristotelis2019 Skylark Alauda arvensis2024 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto2024 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos2024 Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2021 Raven Corvus corax2020 Gannet Morus bassanus2019 Rock Dove Columba livia2019 Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus2019 Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla2019 Puffin Fratercula arctica2019 Eider Somateria mollissima2024 Pheasant Phasianus colchicus2024 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2024 Snipe Gallinago gallinago2024 Mute Swan Cygnus olor2024 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula2022 Wigeon Mareca penelope2022 Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle2021 Common Guillemot Uria aalge2021 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus2021 Linnet Linaria cannabina2019 Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus2019 Gadwall Mareca strepera2019 Shoveler Spatula clypeata2019 Brown Hare
Brown Hare Lepus europaeus Sylvicola punctatus · Nicrophorus investigator · Acrossus rufipes
Sylvicola punctatus Sylvicola punctatus Nicrophorus investigator Nicrophorus investigator Acrossus rufipes Acrossus rufipes Coltsfoot · Common Dog-violet · Common Scurvygrass · Hare's-tail Cottongrass · Silverweed +15
Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara Common Dog-violet Viola riviniana Common Scurvygrass Cochlearia officinalis Hare's-tail Cottongrass Eriophorum vaginatum Silverweed Potentilla anserina Lesser Celandine Ficaria verna Thrift Armeria maritima Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Field Wood-rush Luzula campestris
Field Wood-rush Luzula campestris
Trichophorum germanicum Trichophorum germanicum
Trichophorum germanicum Trichophorum germanicum
Prickly Sow-thistle Sonchus asper2024
Prickly Sow-thistle Sonchus asper2024
Meadow Vetchling Lathyrus pratensis2024
Meadow Vetchling Lathyrus pratensis2024
Red Campion Silene dioica2024
Red Campion Silene dioica2024
Yarrow Achillea millefolium2024
Yarrow Achillea millefolium2024
Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens2024
Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens2024
Heather Calluna vulgaris2024
Heather Calluna vulgaris2024
Sweet Cicely Myrrhis odorata2024
Sweet Cicely Myrrhis odorata2024
Cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis2024
Cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis2024
Bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus2024
Bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus2024
Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. incarnata Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. incarnata2022
Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. incarnata Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. incarnata2022
Ornithogalum umbellatum subsp. umbellatum Ornithogalum umbellatum subsp. umbellatum2022
Ornithogalum umbellatum subsp. umbellatum Ornithogalum umbellatum subsp. umbellatum2022 Events & activities nearby Switch provider to compare local events, tours and bookable activities.
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