Hidden Scotland
Sign in
Montrose Basin at low tide, the saltmarsh edge and the water beyond.
Angus

Montrose Basin

A great tidal basin behind Montrose, a Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve where tens of thousands of pink-footed geese arrive each autumn from Iceland and Greenland.

Visit website
Welcome

Behind the town of Montrose, the River South Esk spreads into a great tidal basin of mud and water that fills and empties twice a day.

At low tide the flats are alive with feeding birds; at high tide the water laps at the fields and saltmarsh all around.

The basin is a Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve, and it is best known for its geese. Each autumn tens of thousands of pink-footed geese arrive from Iceland and Greenland, and at dawn and dusk they rise from the water in great skeins, filling the sky with their calls. Waders and wildfowl feed on the mud through the winter.

The visitor centre on the south shore, free to enter, looks straight out over the water through big windows and telescopes.

The Daily

Arrives at 5am every day.

A free morning email to see what’s on this week, catch up on what’s happening in Scotland and find somewhere new to go.

The Daily for 8 November, from Scotland with love. An ivy-covered ruined tower stands on a small headland across the loch, autumn hills rising behind it through a screen of green leaves.
A short drive awayBridge of DunA three-arched stone bridge of 1787 over the River South Esk near Montrose Basin, rebuilt after Storm Babet damaged it in 2023.6 min by roadSee itBridge of Dun
Before you go

The basin can be seen at any time from the shore paths.

The visitor centre is free and opens every day from February to October, and Friday to Monday in winter.

Where
The Scottish Wildlife Trust visitor centre, Rossie Braes, on the A92 south of Montrose.
Best for
Pink-footed geese, from late September.

Opening hours

Monday
10.30am–5pm
Tuesday
10.30am–5pm
Wednesday
10.30am–5pm
Thursday
10.30am–5pm
Friday
10.30am–5pm
Saturday
10.30am–5pm
Sunday
10.30am–5pm

Been here? Tell others what you know, and the best go on this page with your name.

Add your review
Where it is

Behind Montrose, where the South Esk meets the sea.

Close byMontrose.
  1. RAF Tornado ZD744 stored in a hangar with squadron crests on the wallMontrose Air Station Museum2 miles 4 min by road
  2. The painted front of the Funky Wee Teapot ceramic painting studio in Montrose.The Funky Wee TeapotA fully gluten-free cafe and pottery painting studio in Montrose, run by Donna and Graeme Taylor, with classes, family sessions and cake.2 miles 5 min by road
  3. Tables and shelves of books in Ink & Quill, Montrose.Ink & Quill Bookshop2 miles 5 min by road
  4. House of DunHouse of DunWilliam Adam's house of the 1730s above the basin.2 miles 5 min by road
  5. Wet sand stretches towards a distant lighthouse on the headlandScurdie Ness LighthouseThe lighthouse of 1870 at the mouth of the South Esk.4 miles 13 min by road
Directions
The shopfront of Lilybank Bakehouse on Montrose High Street.CafeLilybank Bakehouse1.9 miles
The window of Tomorrow Is Another Day on George Street, Montrose.CafeTomorrow Is Another Day1.9 miles
AttractionsMontrose Playhouse1.9 miles
Restaurant tables laid with cutlery beneath hanging plants, overlooking coastal dunes at duskRestaurantsRoo's Leap2.1 miles
Two golfers on a coastal tee, one mid-swing overlooking a sandy bayAttractionsMontrose Golf Links2.1 miles
Black Labrador carrying a stick across a bowling green near a pavilionShoppingThe Flower Pavilion2.4 miles
The stone steading at Charleton Farm on a sunny morning, with planters made from old fruit crates in front of the cafe and the farm shop door at the far end.AttractionsCharleton Farm2.6 miles
Stone arched bridge spanning a wide river beneath a cloudy blue skyAttractionsBridge of Dun2.6 miles
Dunninald Castle, its turrets and pinnacles above a green lawn.AttractionsDunninald Castle and Gardens4.3 miles

Recommend to a friend

Stay nearby

Places to stay near the basin, and when each is next free.

A stone cottage with a slated roof and black stove pipe sits beside a gravel drive, foxgloves and wildflowers lining the path.No 4 Steading Cottage
  • Sleeps 7
  • In Strachan
  • 18 miles from Montrose Basin
Free 12–13 NovA stone cottage with dormer windows stands behind a low pale blue gate, a bare-branched arch over the path to the front door and frost on the lawn.Gamekeeper’s Cottage
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Strachan
  • 18 miles from Montrose Basin
Free 10–11 NovA green sitting room with a blue sofa, a leather and sheepskin armchair and a rustic coffee table before a tall window with red curtains, looking out to pine forest and a valley.The Hay Loft at Glendye
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Strachan
  • 18 miles from Montrose Basin
Free 16–17 NovA stone steading with a slated pyramid roof and a chimney stands behind a green nameplate sign, a chair visible through the window.No 2 Steading Cottage
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Strachan
  • 18 miles from Montrose Basin
Free 12–13 NovPlaces to stayEvery stay in AngusAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
Hidden Scotland, the magazine

Scotland, in print.

We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

Get Issue 13Read it here
Read on

What we have written about it and more in Angus.

From the magazineThe Best of AngusArticleThings to do in Dundee and Angus
More in Angus
Find out more

For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .