St Cyrus NNR - About the reserve

Managing habitats and inspiring people

St Cyrus NNR lies on the east coast of Scotland a short distance north of Montrose. Steep cliffs mark the western boundary, and the eastern boundary is the North Sea.

Coastal habitat

Our management priority is to protect and enhance the diverse coastal habitats. We manage the rich grassland through a combination of cutting, scrub and bracken control and cattle grazing. This prevents the grasslands from getting rank and allows wildflowers to flourish. It also creates a rich nectar source for the many invertebrates that thrive here.

We allow natural processes to shape the dunes, estuary and wetland areas. The only aspect we manage is the erosion of paths in the dune ridge by visitors. We encourage visitors to use fewer paths to minimise their impact.

Engaging people with nature

We want visiting the reserve to be a memorable experience for everyone. We provide a visitor centre and interpretation displays. We want to upgrade these during the term of our current management plan. We will also improve the welcome and arrival area and provide better and more engaging information about the reserve.

We will continue to work with the local community on aspects of reserve management. By providing events, outdoor learning and volunteering, we will continue to engage directly with both the local community and visitors from further afield.

Management planning

We plan our management carefully to make sure that the special qualities of the reserve thrive. In this way it will always give visitors an enjoyable experience and engage people with nature.

We produce 10-year management plans for our reserves. Find out more about how we manage St Cyrus NNR:

• The Management Plan – sets out our priorities and tasks for managing the reserve between 2018 and 2028.
• The Reserve Story – an introduction to the natural heritage, historical interest, past management and designations which protect the reserve.
• Consultation Report on the Management Plan for St Cyrus – a summary of the responses received during the consultation in 2018.

Protected areas

The reserve is part of the St Cyrus and Kinnaber Links Site of Special Scientific Interest. Find out more about the protected areas and its designated features by searching the map.

Find out more on

• Visiting the reserve
• Visiting the reserve leaflet
• Getting involved
• Visit more of our nature reserves

Related Links

• Designation and management of Scotland’s National Nature Reserves
• Learn more about other protected areas