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Watenan Broch

0 ha

BirdsWildlifeHeritage

Dogs welcome0 ha

Getting here

58.35621, -3.16687

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🐦61+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Tufted Duck and Little Grebe
✦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

🐦61+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Tufted Duck and Little Grebe
✦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

Best for

5 activities

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Hooded Crow +58 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Hooded Crow +58 more · last seen 2025

Free

Wildlife

Very strong match

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

Free

Heritage

Strong match

Historic site

Free

Mushroom foraging

Good match

Fungi — Nettle Clustercup Rust, Tuberous Polypore · last seen 2025; Fungi — Nettle Clustercup Rust, Tuberous Polypore · last seen 2025

Varies

Insect spotting

Good match

Insects — Cartodere bifasciata, Eristalis arbustorum, Macrosiphum (Macrosiphum) rosae +1 more · last seen 2026; Insects — Cartodere bifasciata, Eristalis arbustorum, Macrosiphum (Macrosiphum) rosae +1 more · last seen 2026

Free

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

2 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

John O'Groats Trail (Lybster to Whaligoe)Walking route

Named routeRef JoG11Local walking route

John O'Groats Trail (Whaligoe to Wick)Walking route

Named routeRef JoG12Local walking route

Wildlife to spot

6,529 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

6,529 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds63 species

springsummer

2025

Tufted Duck · Little Grebe · Hooded Crow · Black-headed Gull · Swallow +58

Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
SwallowHirundo rustica
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
JackdawColoeus monedula
WigeonMareca penelope
Rock DoveColumba livia
BuzzardButeo buteo
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
BlackbirdTurdus merula
Herring GullLarus argentatus
TealAnas crecca
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
House MartinDelichon urbicum
House SparrowPasser domesticus
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
LapwingVanellus vanellus
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
KestrelFalco tinnunculus
FulmarFulmarus glacialis
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
Common GullLarus canus
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
CootFulica atra
Greylag GooseAnser anser
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
ShagGulosus aristotelis
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
RobinErithacus rubecula
SiskinSpinus spinus
Sand MartinRiparia riparia
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
RavenCorvus corax
Great TitParus major
LinnetLinaria cannabina
WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
CurlewNumenius arquata
GannetMorus bassanus
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
CuckooCuculus canorus2024
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
RazorbillAlca torda
Black GuillemotCepphus grylle
ShovelerSpatula clypeata
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
Mute SwanCygnus olor
GreenfinchChloris chloris2024
PuffinFratercula arctica2024
Common GuillemotUria aalge2024
Haematopus ostralegus ostralegusHaematopus ostralegus ostralegus2024
Corvus corax coraxCorvus corax corax2024
Rock PipitAnthus petrosus2024

🦌

Mammals5 species

springsummer

2025

Rabbit · Red Fox · Feral Cat · Mole · Stoat

RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus
Red FoxVulpes vulpes
Feral CatFelis catus
MoleTalpa europaea2024
StoatMustela erminea2024

🐝

Insects4 species

springsummer

2026

Cartodere bifasciata · Eristalis arbustorum · Macrosiphum (Macrosiphum) rosae · Blue-tailed Damselfly

Cartodere bifasciataCartodere bifasciata
Eristalis arbustorumEristalis arbustorum2025
Macrosiphum (Macrosiphum) rosaeMacrosiphum (Macrosiphum) rosae2025
Blue-tailed DamselflyIschnura elegans2025

🍄

Fungi2 species

springsummer

2025

Nettle Clustercup Rust · Tuberous Polypore

Nettle Clustercup RustPuccinia urticata s. lat.
Tuberous PolyporePolyporus tuberaster2024

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

6,529 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds63 species

springsummer

2025

Tufted Duck · Little Grebe · Hooded Crow · Black-headed Gull · Swallow +58

Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
SwallowHirundo rustica
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
JackdawColoeus monedula
WigeonMareca penelope
Rock DoveColumba livia
BuzzardButeo buteo
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
BlackbirdTurdus merula
Herring GullLarus argentatus
TealAnas crecca
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
House MartinDelichon urbicum
House SparrowPasser domesticus
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
LapwingVanellus vanellus
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
KestrelFalco tinnunculus
FulmarFulmarus glacialis
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
Common GullLarus canus
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
CootFulica atra
Greylag GooseAnser anser
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
ShagGulosus aristotelis
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
RobinErithacus rubecula
SiskinSpinus spinus
Sand MartinRiparia riparia
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
RavenCorvus corax
Great TitParus major
LinnetLinaria cannabina
WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
CurlewNumenius arquata
GannetMorus bassanus
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
CuckooCuculus canorus2024
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
RazorbillAlca torda
Black GuillemotCepphus grylle
ShovelerSpatula clypeata
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
Mute SwanCygnus olor
GreenfinchChloris chloris2024
PuffinFratercula arctica2024
Common GuillemotUria aalge2024
Haematopus ostralegus ostralegusHaematopus ostralegus ostralegus2024
Corvus corax coraxCorvus corax corax2024
Rock PipitAnthus petrosus2024

🦌

Mammals5 species

springsummer

2025

Rabbit · Red Fox · Feral Cat · Mole · Stoat

RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus
Red FoxVulpes vulpes
Feral CatFelis catus
MoleTalpa europaea2024
StoatMustela erminea2024

🐝

Insects4 species

springsummer

2026

Cartodere bifasciata · Eristalis arbustorum · Macrosiphum (Macrosiphum) rosae · Blue-tailed Damselfly

Cartodere bifasciataCartodere bifasciata
Eristalis arbustorumEristalis arbustorum2025
Macrosiphum (Macrosiphum) rosaeMacrosiphum (Macrosiphum) rosae2025
Blue-tailed DamselflyIschnura elegans2025

🍄

Fungi2 species

springsummer

2025

Nettle Clustercup Rust · Tuberous Polypore

Nettle Clustercup RustPuccinia urticata s. lat.
Tuberous PolyporePolyporus tuberaster2024

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Alan Reid · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Watenan from the loch

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

✦South Yarrows SouthHistoric site2.2 km→✦Yarrows BrochHistoric site2.3 km→✦South Yarrows NorthHistoric site2.4 km→⛪Thrumster ChurchReligious grounds3.6 km→✦Ulbster School, broch siteHistoric site600 m→✦Warehouse long cairnHistoric site1.4 km→

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