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Welcome

The Loons and Loch of Banks nature reserve is a wonderful watery landscape where the sounds of breeding birds fill the air. It is the largest remaining wetland in Orkney and the perfect place to see waders and wildfowl, including wigeons, curlews, pintails, lapwing, and Greenland white-fronted geese. Visit The Loons Listening Wall (inspired by the wartime concrete listening walls on the south coast of England) in spring and immerse yourself in the spectacular natural symphony of sound created by the inhabitants of the thriving wetland in front of you, whilst the Loons Hide is the perfect place to watch wildfowl and hunting hen harriers in the winter. 

 

 

View from the Loons hide by Christine Hall

Level access

The main entrance has level access. The ramp is permanent.

There is level access from the main entrance to:

Loons Listening WallThe Loons Hide

Visual

Some parts of the venue have low lighting.

Getting here

For further information on accessible travel in Scotland, go to Transport Scotland.
RSPB The Loons and Loch of Banks
Loons Road
Orkney
KW17 2NB

Travel by public transport

You can get to RSPB Scotland The Loons and Loch of Banks by bus.
There are no marked bus stops for the reserve - just ask the driver to let you off for The Loons or Loch of Banks nature reserves. For the Loons Hide and the Loons Listening Wall, the nearest stop is on the B9056 road just before Marwick. This is 0.3 miles from the Loons Hide and 0.7 miles from the Listening Wall. For the Loch of Banks reserve, the nearest stop is on the A986 at Twatt Crossroads, at the reserve. The bus stop is 0.3 miles / 0.5 km from RSPB Scotland The Loons and Loch of Banks.

For the Loons Hide and Listening Wall, the bus service is the Stagecoach 8S Kirkwall to Skarabrae service. Ask the driver to drop you off at the end of the Loons Road near Marwick and follow the brown tourist sign along the single track road towards Twatt to reach the Loons Hide. From here it is a further 0.4 mile walk east along the same road to the Loons Listening Wall.

There are two bus services that pass by the Loch of Banks, the 8S as described above and the Stagecoach 7 Kirkwall - Dounby - Stromness service. Alight at Twatt crossroads and the reserve is the wetland area directly to the south, viewable from the A986 and A967 roads which form its boundaries. Please beware of fast traffic if viewing the reserve from the roadside, using the verges rather than the road.   

Up to date travel information can be found at http://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/B/bus-timetables.htm 

Travel by taxi

You can get a taxi with Orkney Taxis by calling 01856 875511. The taxi company has a wheelchair accessible vehicle.
You can get a taxi with Craigies Taxis by calling 01856 878787. You can get a taxi with Abs Taxis by calling 07437 332012.

Parking

We have a car park. The parking is less than 50 metres from the main entrance. Parking is free.
There is a drop-off point at the main entrance. The drop-off point has a dropped kerb.
From the car park to the entrance, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp.
The route is 920mm wide, or more.

The Loons Hide has a tarmac parking area directly outside the entrance to the hide. 

The Listening Wall has a tarmac parking area directly behind the wall. There are good views of The Loons wetlands from the parking area. 

The Loch of Banks has no parking or facilities. The best way to see the reserve is from a vehicle on the road. Please pull off the road safely if you are stopping to view the reserve. 

Parking area at the Loons Hide Parking area at the Listening Wall View of Loch of Banks from the road

Arrival

Path to main entrance

From the street to the main entrance, there is level access.
There is a permanent ramp.
The path is 920mm wide, or more.

Main entrance

The main entrance has level access.
There is a permanent ramp.
The door is 800mm wide.
The main door is side hung and manual.

Please note that there is no Visitor Centre on the reserve. The only facilities are a birdwatching hide and the Listening Wall, and there are no staff based at the reserve. 

Getting around inside

Visual Impairment - General Information

Some parts of the venue have low lighting.

Getting around outside

Loons Listening Wall

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 900mm wide, or more. The entrance is 1000mm wide.

The Loons Listening Wall is accessed by a short fine gravel path. The surface of the Listening Wall is made up of fine gravel and there are inset stones which are raised slightly from the ground. There are two low stone benches which allow you to take in the fantastic sights and sounds of the Loons reserve. The path is gently sloping and there are some tight turns. 

Entrance to path at Listening Wall Path to and from Listening Wall Listening Wall Bench 1 at the Listening Wall Bench 2 at the Listening Wall View from the Listening Wall

The Loons Hide

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. The route is 920mm wide, or more. The entrance is 800mm wide.

Access to the Loons Hide consists of a short gravel path from the car parking area leading to a wooden boardwalk ramp to the door of the hide. The ramp is is covered in chickenwire and has wooden handrails. Inside the hide, directly opposite the door, the first wooden bench can swing out to accommodate a wheelchair. The window in this section is 1m from the ground.  

Loons Hide Ramp to the Loons Hide Inside the Loons Hide Movable bench in the Loons Hide

Customer care support

Accessibility equipment

The nearest toilet area for assistance dogs is along the edges of the parking areas outside the Loons Hide and Listening Wall. Please remove any dog waste from the site.
You can hire mobility equipment from Orkney Disability Forum by calling 01856 870340.
Guide info
Any information, comments and views made available to users via this Accessibility Guide are provided directly from third party business operators. VisitEngland and VisitScotland do not endorse or validate this information. Any reliance on this Accessibility Guide is at your own risk. This guide is not intended to be a substitute for users making their own checks, inquiries and investigations directly with the business operators prior to making any booking or visiting the venue.