Wigtown's secret stars
an osprey
More commonly known as Scotland's Book Town, Wigtown has another claim to fame - ospreys. You can get up close and personal with these stunning birds.
As well attracting lovers of literature thanks to its status as Scotland's Book Town, for the last few years Wigtown has drawn some very distinguished visitors. A pair of ospreys nests at a secret location in the area and you can see them up close and personal thanks to the Wigtown Bay Osprey Project, which is jointly managed by RSPB and Dumfries and Galloway Council's Countryside Service. You can watch these rare and beautiful birds on a video link showing live images of the ospreys and their chicks at their nest from a special visitor room in the town.
The ospreys can be seen from April to August. After spending the summer in Scotland, ospreys migrate to west Africa for the colder winter months, with the females departing first towards the end of August, and the males remaining at the nest site with their chicks for a few more days until they too are ready to leave. You can sometimes see the ospreys in action fishing out in Wigtown Bay. A good place to try, where you can see lots of other birds, is the nearby RSPB reserve of Crook of Baldoon.
With a backdrop of the Galloway Hills, this scenic reserve is at its most colourful in summer with carpets of pink thift early in the season followed by blue sea aster. Summering birds include lapwings with their butterfly wings, curious calls and acrobat flight, and elegant white terns fish in the bay (for smaller prey than the mighty ospreys). In winter vast numbers of waders, wildfowl and winter thrushes feed on the reserve, attracting birds of prey like peregrines, merlins and sparrowhawks. It's a great place to visit at any time of year.
Search
Skip search formsSearch for accommodation
Search for attractions
Search for events
Search for activities
Newsletter sign up »
Sign up now to receive regular e-newsletters and be the first to hear about the latest news, exciting events and festivals.
Order a free brochure »
Order Dumfries and Galloway Brochures & Guides, such as the Accommodation Guide, Visitors Guide, Golf Guide, Walking Guide & Cycling Guide.
