Montrose Basin is a large tidal basin of mud, sand, salt marsh and reed bed. It is an important local Nature Reserve and a great place to visit for birdwatchers. This walk visits parts of the western fringe of the basin, including two hides.
Clear tracks, often wet paths, level.
Buses from Aberdeen and Dundee.
Mains of Dun.
There is a reserve car park on the minor road immediately south of the Mains of Dun farm. Begin the walk by following the footpath - signed 'bird hides' - which heads east directly opposite the car park. The path passes through and then alongside some woodland before joining a track from the farm; bear right onto this. Follow the track as it climbs over the grassy mound which once carried the railway; a sign here indicates that you are entering the Nature Reserve.
At the next track junction, keep right (marked Shelduck hide). Continue along the grassy track; soon there are good views on the right over the Millburn Reed Beds. Eventually the track reaches the Shelduck hide itself. This gives excellent viewing over the Lurgies and the freshwater flowing into the western end of the Basin. From here underfoot conditions deteriorate, but you can follow a sometimes wet grassy path which heads to the left to reach the edge of the basin itself, giving fine views across the water and flats to Montrose.
Follow the path as it bends left; as it reaches a ditch turn left through a small gate and follow the path as it leads back to the access track used for the hide. Turn right here; after a short distance you can turn right alongside a fence (keeping the fence on your right). This grassy path can again be a little wet in places; you could avoid it by instead following the track to the signed junction for the wigeon hide. If following the path, it eventually turns left, still alongside the fence, and meets the wigeon hide track at a t-junction; turn right here for the wigeon hide.
The track ends at a gate but continue ahead to reach the elevated hide visible ahead. Best visited at high tide, the hide has superb views across the basin; look out for shelduck, eider, and, as the name suggests, wigeon. In the middle of the basin you may be able to pick out the remains of a dyke built in the seventeenth century in an attempt to reclaim land from the basin. After visiting the hide, return along the track, following it right back to the original access track. Turn right here to retrace your steps back to the start.
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