Success Stories

"In the late 1970s only 7,000 pink-footed geese would arrive at Montrose Basin. This Autumn over 35,000 geese will fly in to refuel at Montrose."

Karen Spalding, Conservation Manager

Montrose Basin, occupies the sheltered firth of the River South Esk in Angus. The basin was designated as a Local Nature Reserve in 1981 and is now recognised internationally as a fine example of integrated management with clear benefits to both conservation and the community. Most of the reserve is owned by the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) who also own the centre.

Bird populations are thriving, with birds coming from all directions, stopping in Montrose Basin to refuel on their long journeys. For example, knot, a type of wading bird, fly in from Siberia on their way to West Africa. Montrose Basin is a very welcome stop on their incredible 2,500 mile migration. However, the reserve is also important for a resident population of 400 breeding pairs of eider duck.

 Great care was taken by the architect to come up with a design for the centre that neatly fitted the rather oddly shaped site on steep ground. The choice of natural building materials, including sandstone recycled from a local source, meant that the centre blended in well with its surroundings.

The main theme of the centre is bird migration. This story is told in several different ways. One particularly popular and informative method is a large three-dimensional globe with touch screen controls showing visitors bird migration routes around the world.

The centre has large viewing windows with telescopes and binoculars available for visitors. There is also a remote control CCTV camera that can be used to feel really close up to birdlife or seals on the mudflats. The SWT believes that it is often such close encounters with wildlife that spark off a life-long interest in and care for birds and their environment. Staff and volunteers at the centre are there to help the 12,000 human visitors to learn more about the importance of Montrose Basin for wildlife.

With a visitor centre that has many repeat visits it is important to look for new exhibits and find other ways to improve the wildlife tourism experience. The SWT have ambitious plans for the visitor centre at Montrose Basin. These plans are being made under the banner of ‘Making Magic at Montrose’ and include:

• disabled access to the main floor and education room so that more people can enjoy the birdlife and beauty of the surroundings.

• improvements to the interpretation panels in the Centre, which will show the diversity of the Basin through the seasons.

• a seated refreshment and resource area.

Continued management of the reserve and improvements in the centre will mean that wildlife and visitors will both benefit in the future.

Montrose Basin is a beautiful place to visit at any time of the year but to see the thousands of pink-footed geese the best time to visit is October and November.

The Wildlife Centre is open:
10.30am to 5pm daily from 15th March - 15th November
10.30am to 4pm (Friday to Sunday only) from 16th November - 14th March

Admission Charges:
Adults                           £3
Concession                    £2
SWT members               Free
Children                        Free
Groups of 10 or more     £1.50 per person (£1 for concessions)

For more information please contact:
Scottish Wildlife Trust
Montrose Basin Wildlife Centre
Rossie Braes
Montrose
Angus, DD10 9TJ

Tel: 01674 676336
Fax: 01674 678773
Email: montrosebasin@swt.org.uk

Visit the Montrose Basin Visitor Centre website at www.montrosebasin.org.uk.

For more information about the Scottish Wildlife Trust, click here .

last updated 30th September 2002

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