St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve
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Overview
Sheer cliffs loom from the sea at St Abb’s Head NNR, giving dramatic views of the Berwickshire coastline and providing an early summer home for nesting seabirds. Between May and July, the sandstone and volcanic cliffs of St Abb’s Head become a seabird metropolis accommodating a heaving, squawking mass of birdlife including guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes. You can spy the serried mass of nesting birds in the narrow inlets, or admire their swooping flight as they head out to sea. The rocky grassland on the cliff tops is dotted with colourful wildflowers in summer, such as rock-rose, wild thyme and purple milk-vetch, which support small copper and common blue butterflies. Meadow pipits and flocks of twittering linnets forage for plant seeds while white-rumped wheatears hunt for insects. The deep valley that cuts across the headland from Pettico Wick to Horsecastle Bay provides another different range of habitats. Eels, perch and sticklebacks live in the freshwater Mire Loch, which is also a breeding ground for frogs and toads.
About the area
Southern Scotland is often referred to as the Lowlands, to distinguish it from the mountainous grandeur of the North-West Highlands. But don’t be fooled by the description.
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Nearby places to stay
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Nearby places to stay
Marshall Meadows Manor House
Marshall Meadows Manor House is a stunning Georgian manor that's been transformed into a luxury hotel with breath-taking sea views. The elegant rooms and suites are individually decorat...
Berwick Holiday Park
A very friendly, welcoming static-only holiday park with excellent entertainment and leisure facilities for all ages, and with direct access to the beach on the edge of Berwick. Excitin...
The Walls Bed & Breakfast
The Walls provides guests with an elegant, welcoming and stylish haven in one of the most beautiful regions of the British Isles. All the rooms have been extensively refurbished and off...
Chainbridge Touring Caravan Site
Adults-only Chainbridge Touring Caravan Site is tucked away on the banks of the River Tweed, just inland from Northumberland’s plentiful sandy beaches. A riverside walk to the lovely ga...
Ord House Country Park
Set within the grounds of 18th-century Ord House, this very well-run park takes great pride in the quality of its landscaping and in the siting and spacing of touring pitches, some of w...
West Longridge Manor
A stunning country house two miles from the A1 near the historic market town of Berwick-upon-Tweed renowned for its Elizabethan Walls, the Lowry trail and an ideal base for touring Nort...
The Garden House at West Longridge Manor
Situated on a working farm, the Garden House is close to the A1 and beside the historic market town of Berwick-upon-Tweed which is renowned for its Elizabethan Walls and Lowry Trail. T...
The Roxburgh Guest Accommodation
Just below the mouth of the River Tweed, overlooking the beach, is The Roxburgh family-owned bed and breakfast. A gentle half-hour walk across the river takes you into historic Berwick-...
