Grid Ref – NS035657
How to get there
- Infrequent bus service from Rothesay, number 490.
- On foot/ cycle/ car – From Rothesay Pier turn right (head north) on A844 towards Port Bannatyne and Kames Bay.
- After approx 3 miles, at Kames Bay, turn left (still on A844) heading west.
- At the junction beside the graveyard and ruined church you can either:
- carry straight on to reach the north end of Ettrick Bay with its tearoom
- bear left on the A844. After approx 1 mile, the hide is on your right.
- Parking available both north and south ends of the bay, and at the hide.
Habitat
Sandy bay with adjacent farmland.
Birds of interest
All year round four species of Gull can be found at the mouth of the Drumachloy Burn at the north end of the bay, Herring Gull, Common Gull, Black-headed Gull and Great Black-backed Gull. In summer they are joined by Lesser Black-backed Gull while Med Gull has been seen in recent years. Sandwich Terns, Gannet, and further out Manx Shearwater are worth looking for and throughout the year there are always Oystercatcher, Grey Heron and Curlew feeding somewhere along the shore.
Scarcer species recorded at Ettrick Bay are Sanderling, Knot, Greenshank, Whimbrel, Slavonian Grebe, three species of Diver and Little Egret.
In winter Ettrick Bay is home to a good number of wintering wildfowl including large numbers of Wigeon, Teal, Mallard and Greylag Geese. Recently a small flock of Bar-tailed Godwit have been wintering here and Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Redshank and Lapwing are usually found somewhere in the bay. In January 2015 small flocks of Snow Bunting frequented the high water line and adjacent fields. In summer, the track between the north and south car parks can produce warblers and passerines.
Facilities
Tearoom with toilets at north end of bay
Bird hide at south end of bay
Ettrick Bay
Ettrick Bay