With some of the largest sand dunes in Britain, Forvie is one of Scotland's most dramatic stretches of coast. The mud flats of the Ythan Estuary provide a fast food refueling stop for many passing birds and the mouth of the estuary is a year-round haul out for seals. The wind and the tide are in charge here, and it's a great place to blow the cobwebs away with the chance of seeing some spectacular wildlife. The visitor centre has displays about the reserve and toilets. It is open 9am - 5pm all year round. A short, easy access trail with wheelchair-accessible picnic tables leads onto the reserve from the centre. Forvie is managed by Scottish Natural Heritage.
Beautiful tranquil dunes and stunning views. Such a wonderful place to spend time.
Forvie National Nature Reserve, nestled in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is a coastal gem. Its 1,000 hectares of shifting sand dunes and dune heath create a landscape akin to the Sahara Desert. Birdwatchers delight in eiders, terns, and wildfowl. In winter, seals with pups dot the estuary. Beneath the sands lie historical layers, including Forvie Kirk. Explore marked trails, admire cliff flowers in spring, and witness seals from Newburgh beach. Nature thrives here, leaving visitors awestruck.
Loved it here! This nature reserve offers a wide variety of short and longer paths to choose from, all of which are mostly clearly labelled. We also saw hundreds of seals! The walk along the beach (especially on a sunny day) is just absolutely worth it!
A fine place to visit if you enjoy a good countryside nature walk , take your camera as there is plenty to capture, magnificent scenery, wildlife , blue sky's with signposts along the way to help you manoeuvre the well walked paths . A small car park is at the entrance with the Forvie Centre building available for visitors though it was closed due to Covid on the day that we visited . The walk is enjoyable though sadly the path is not best for anyone with walking disabilities or indeed suitable for a wheel chair, I have posted a few photos so that anyone preparing to visit can make a judgement before they arrive. It was a bright sunlit day with a wind blowing when we arrived, it certainly felt as if we had completed a good bit of exercise, the dog loved her walk that day too , meeting a few others out with their owners along our journey. In summary , plan ahead if you have not visited before , good parking, a facility to use on site ( closed during Covid lockdown) , signposted well, paths to follow , great scenery, wildlife to watch , dress appropriately as it is out in the country , wear good walking boots or shoes , my iPhone could not receive a signal during various parts of our walk .
Wasn't the best weather for a visit, planning on returning in the summer wasn't alot of parking spaces
Free parking of 10 places approximatly. Overnight parking was not specified. From there, few paths to get to the shore, approximatly 1 hour to get to the bay and get back. We saw cormoran on the way. It can get windy.
Wheelchair-accessible car park
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Hiking
Picnic tables
Public toilet
Good for kids
Kid-friendly hikes
Dogs allowed
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Beautiful tranquil dunes and stunning views. Such a wonderful place to spend time.
Forvie National Nature Reserve, nestled in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is a coastal gem. Its 1,000 hectares of shifting sand dunes and dune heath create a landscape akin to the Sahara Desert. Birdwatchers delight in eiders, terns, and wildfowl. In winter, seals with pups dot the estuary. Beneath the sands lie historical layers, including Forvie Kirk. Explore marked trails, admire cliff flowers in spring, and witness seals from Newburgh beach. Nature thrives here, leaving visitors awestruck.
Loved it here! This nature reserve offers a wide variety of short and longer paths to choose from, all of which are mostly clearly labelled. We also saw hundreds of seals! The walk along the beach (especially on a sunny day) is just absolutely worth it!
A fine place to visit if you enjoy a good countryside nature walk , take your camera as there is plenty to capture, magnificent scenery, wildlife , blue sky's with signposts along the way to help you manoeuvre the well walked paths . A small car park is at the entrance with the Forvie Centre building available for visitors though it was closed due to Covid on the day that we visited . The walk is enjoyable though sadly the path is not best for anyone with walking disabilities or indeed suitable for a wheel chair, I have posted a few photos so that anyone preparing to visit can make a judgement before they arrive. It was a bright sunlit day with a wind blowing when we arrived, it certainly felt as if we had completed a good bit of exercise, the dog loved her walk that day too , meeting a few others out with their owners along our journey. In summary , plan ahead if you have not visited before , good parking, a facility to use on site ( closed during Covid lockdown) , signposted well, paths to follow , great scenery, wildlife to watch , dress appropriately as it is out in the country , wear good walking boots or shoes , my iPhone could not receive a signal during various parts of our walk .
Wasn't the best weather for a visit, planning on returning in the summer wasn't alot of parking spaces
Free parking of 10 places approximatly. Overnight parking was not specified. From there, few paths to get to the shore, approximatly 1 hour to get to the bay and get back. We saw cormoran on the way. It can get windy.
