Swirl Cove

Explorer Tom Fowlsheugh cliffs near Stonehaven can sound like an entire town arguing over fish when the seabirds come home for summer. Guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes crowd the ledges, while the cliff-top path lets visitors watch without joining the scramble. Bring binoculars if you like, but you will not need them to hear the neighbours. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds says more than 115,000 seabirds breed on these cliffs in spring and summer, making this the largest mainland seabird colony on Scotland’s east coast. Puffins and fulmars are here in smaller numbers, and seals or dolphins may appear offshore. They are wild animals, so the grand performance has no curtain time and no promise that your favourite bird will take its mark. The reserve has a grassy coastal trail leading towards a small viewing shelter. Bird activity is strongest from May into early August, but the sea and cliffs make a bracing walk at other times. You can watch birds pack the ledges, circle out over the water and return with food. Let them keep the dangerous cliff edge to themselves. A gull can recover from a wobble much better than a visitor trying to photograph one. The operator describes an uneven, unsurfaced path with two flights of steps near the entrance, a small car park and no toilets on site. Keep dogs on leads, stay on the public trail and respect the cliff edge. Check the reserve’s current notices and the weather before coming, especially in wind or rain. Take your time at the shelter: when the colony is busy, every patch of rock seems to have a story and a rather loud opinion.