← Back✦ Historic site

St Nicholas's Church (ruins) aka Orkney Round Church C12

0 ha

📷 N Chadwick · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Plan your visit

WildlifeBirdsSeasonal

Dogs welcome0 ha

Getting here

58.92197, -3.15672

Open directionsv

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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
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

🌤️ 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
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

Good to know

🐕Dogs welcome

ParkingToilets

Best for

7 activities

Wildlife

Very strong match

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

Free

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Red-throated Diver, Rook, Starling +93 more · last seen 2026; Birds — Red-throated Diver, Rook, Starling +93 more · last seen 2026

Free

Seasonal nature

Strong match

Plants — Northern Marsh-orchid, Creeping Thistle, Common Bird's-foot-trefoil +87 more · last seen 2025; Plants — Northern Marsh-orchid, Creeping Thistle, Common Bird's-foot-trefoil +87 more · last seen 2025

Free

Heritage

Strong match

Historic site

Free

Insect spotting

Good match

Insects — Common Hawker, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly +7 more · last seen 2025; Insects — Common Hawker, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly +7 more · last seen 2025

Free

Easy access

Good match

parking, toilets

Varies

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚴

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

6,939 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

6,939 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds60 species

summer

2026

Starling · Rook · Goldfinch · Robin · Common Gull +55

StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
RookCorvus frugilegus2025
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
RobinErithacus rubecula2025
Common GullLarus canus2025
ShagGulosus aristotelis2025
Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
Rock DoveColumba livia2025
Greylag GooseAnser anser2025
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus2025
SwallowHirundo rustica2025
GreenfinchChloris chloris2025
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus2025
Common GuillemotUria aalge2025
CurlewNumenius arquata2025
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2025
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
Great SkuaStercorarius skua2025
FulmarFulmarus glacialis2025
Red-throated DiverGavia stellata2025
GannetMorus bassanus2025
BlackbirdTurdus merula2025
RavenCorvus corax2025
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis2025
Black GuillemotCepphus grylle2025
RedshankTringa totanus2025
EiderSomateria mollissima2025
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii2025
Arctic TernSterna paradisaea2025
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo2025
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2025
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
SnipeGallinago gallinago2025
Hooded CrowCorvus cornix2025
TurnstoneArenaria interpres2025
GoldcrestRegulus regulus2025
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus2025
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
House SparrowPasser domesticus2025
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis2025
MallardAnas platyrhynchos2025
Great Northern DiverGavia immer2025
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalis2025
DunnockPrunella modularis2025
JackdawColoeus monedula2025
Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatus2025
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponica2025
Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
DunlinCalidris alpina2025
TealAnas crecca2025
House MartinDelichon urbicum2025
RazorbillAlca torda2025
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula2025
GreenshankTringa nebularia2025
WigeonMareca penelope2025
Common TernSterna hirundo2025
PeregrineFalco peregrinus2025
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus2025
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2025

🦌

Mammals6 species

summer

2025

Brown Hare · Rabbit · Harbour Seal · Risso's Dolphin · Orkney/Guernsey Vole +1

Brown HareLepus europaeus
RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus
Harbour SealPhoca vitulina
Risso's DolphinGrampus griseus
Orkney/Guernsey VoleMicrotus arvalis
HedgehogErinaceus europaeus

🐝

Insects5 species

summer

2025

Blue-tailed Damselfly · Eristalis pertinax · Volucella bombylans · Helophilus pendulus · Emerald Damselfly

Blue-tailed DamselflyIschnura elegans
Eristalis pertinaxEristalis pertinax
Volucella bombylansVolucella bombylans
Helophilus pendulusHelophilus pendulus
Emerald DamselflyLestes sponsa

🌿

Plants15 species

summer

2025

Devil's-bit Scabious · Yellow-rattle · Thrift · Sea Campion · Sea Plantain +10

Devil's-bit ScabiousSuccisa pratensis
Yellow-rattleRhinanthus minor
ThriftArmeria maritima
Sea CampionSilene uniflora
Sea PlantainPlantago maritima
Lady's BedstrawGalium verum
Sand-hill Screw-mossSyntrichia ruraliformis

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

6,939 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds60 species

summer

2026

Starling · Rook · Goldfinch · Robin · Common Gull +55

StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
RookCorvus frugilegus2025
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
RobinErithacus rubecula2025
Common GullLarus canus2025
ShagGulosus aristotelis2025
Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
Rock DoveColumba livia2025
Greylag GooseAnser anser2025
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus2025
SwallowHirundo rustica2025
GreenfinchChloris chloris2025
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus2025
Common GuillemotUria aalge2025
CurlewNumenius arquata2025
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2025
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
Great SkuaStercorarius skua2025
FulmarFulmarus glacialis2025
Red-throated DiverGavia stellata2025
GannetMorus bassanus2025
BlackbirdTurdus merula2025
RavenCorvus corax2025
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis2025
Black GuillemotCepphus grylle2025
RedshankTringa totanus2025
EiderSomateria mollissima2025
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii2025
Arctic TernSterna paradisaea2025
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo2025
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2025
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
SnipeGallinago gallinago2025
Hooded CrowCorvus cornix2025
TurnstoneArenaria interpres2025
GoldcrestRegulus regulus2025
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus2025
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
House SparrowPasser domesticus2025
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis2025
MallardAnas platyrhynchos2025
Great Northern DiverGavia immer2025
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalis2025
DunnockPrunella modularis2025
JackdawColoeus monedula2025
Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatus2025
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponica2025
Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
DunlinCalidris alpina2025
TealAnas crecca2025
House MartinDelichon urbicum2025
RazorbillAlca torda2025
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula2025
GreenshankTringa nebularia2025
WigeonMareca penelope2025
Common TernSterna hirundo2025
PeregrineFalco peregrinus2025
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus2025
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2025

🦌

Mammals6 species

summer

2025

Brown Hare · Rabbit · Harbour Seal · Risso's Dolphin · Orkney/Guernsey Vole +1

Brown HareLepus europaeus
RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus
Harbour SealPhoca vitulina
Risso's DolphinGrampus griseus
Orkney/Guernsey VoleMicrotus arvalis
HedgehogErinaceus europaeus

🐝

Insects5 species

summer

2025

Blue-tailed Damselfly · Eristalis pertinax · Volucella bombylans · Helophilus pendulus · Emerald Damselfly

Blue-tailed DamselflyIschnura elegans
Eristalis pertinaxEristalis pertinax
Volucella bombylansVolucella bombylans
Helophilus pendulusHelophilus pendulus
Emerald DamselflyLestes sponsa

🌿

Plants15 species

summer

2025

Devil's-bit Scabious · Yellow-rattle · Thrift · Sea Campion · Sea Plantain +10

Devil's-bit ScabiousSuccisa pratensis
Yellow-rattleRhinanthus minor
ThriftArmeria maritima
Sea CampionSilene uniflora
Sea PlantainPlantago maritima
Lady's BedstrawGalium verum
Sand-hill Screw-mossSyntrichia ruraliformis

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 N Chadwick · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

St Nicholas's Church

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

✦Site of tumulus (Lavacroon)Historic site300 m→✦Earl's Bu - Horizontal Mill (Norse), Settlement (Norse)Historic site0 m→✦Norse Water MillHistoric site100 m→✦Site of Medieval chapel and burial groundHistoric site1.8 km→✦Smoogro WWII HAA gun batteryHistoric site4 km→✦Burnt Mound (Prehistoric)Historic site1.9 km→

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