Crook of Baldoon, RSPB Nature Reserve
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The Crook of Baldoon occupies 196 hectares and is part of the Wigtown Bay Local Nature Reserve. The Crook consists of 98 hectares of saltmarsh, 72 hectares of farmed grassland and 26 hectares of short rotation coppice willow. The RSPB’s aim is to restore the farmland and willow coppice to wet grassland to provide breeding habitat for lapwing and redshank as well as increasing the richness of other wildlife at the reserve.

Notable animal species: pink-footed and barnacle geese, shelducks, pintail, wigeon, whooper and mute swans, oystercatcher, curlew, ringed plover, golden plover, skylarks, twite, peregrine falcon, merlin, hen harrier and osprey.
Notable and rare plant species: annual seablite, lax flowered sea lavender, dwarf eel grass, sea aster, sea pink

Best in: The Crook rewards visitors at all times of the year, but is especially spectacular in the autumn and winter.

Location

About 3 miles south of Wigtown town centre.
Post Code
Grid reference: NX442530
GPS Co-ordinates

How to get there

By car: from the centre of Wigtown, turn right onto the A714 for Port William, following this to the mini roundabout at Bladnoch taking the first exit left over the River Bladnoch. Staying on the A714 to Port William, after about 1 mile turn left at the sign for Penkiln saw mill. Follow this road for a further 1 mile crossing a small bridge at West Mains of Baldoon farm and carrying on past East Mains of Baldoon farm (both farms are on the right of the road). Past the farm the public council road turns into a single lane track down to the Crook of Baldoon - it is potholed so take care when driving along it.

By bus service: take the 415 Bus from Newton Stewart and ask to stop south of Wigtown at Penkiln saw mill sign. Walk down Shell Road - from there it's about 1.5 miles to the reserve. Bus stop is at grid ref: NX419530.

By cycle/on foot: as for car.