Grid Refs
St Ninian’s Bay NS040617
Straad Saltmarsh NS035617
How to get there
- The Straad and St Ninian’s Bay are about 4 miles from Rothesay. From the pier walk (or drive) south on High Street, passing Rothesay Castle, turning right onto Russell Street.
- Follow Russell St, which becomes Barone Road (B878) out of Rothesay. After about 1 and a half miles, at Greenan Mill junction take the right fork in the road (straight on) onto A 844.
- Continue for about 1 mile then where the main road takes a sharp bend to the right take the unclassified road (straight on) to the Straad. Parking is limited in the village of Straad, please park with consideration and walk down to the Bay. The main area of interest is the Bay itself and the saltmarsh to the northwest of the bay.
Habitat
Sandy Bay surrounded by farmland to the east and north with a saltmarsh to the northwest.
Birds of Interest
The bay is good for waders including Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit and occasional passing migrants such as Whimbrel. Golden Plover are seen most years in the fields to the north of the bay and the saltmarsh is the only site on the island where Grey Plover is occasionally found. Shelduck, Greylag and Canada Geese breed in the area and on occasions White-tailed Eagle have frequented the Saltmarsh area. The channel between the bay and the island of Inchmarnock during the winter months can produce Red-throated and Great Northern Divers , and Slavonian Grebe, along with the more common species that frequent the waters around Bute. The surrounding scrub is a good area to pick up summer migrants and the islands only record of Lapland Bunting was of three here in April 2011.