Glengoyne

Repairing and improving bird hides at Caerlaverock Wetland Centre

WWT Caerlaverock is home to one of the greatest goose migration spectacles in the UK, as thousands of Barnacle geese arrive each October from Norway. The reserve provides homes to these geese and to countless other wetland dependent species, which can be witnessed through the reserve’s bird hides, allowing visitors to connect with wetlands and the incredible species that call them their home.

We are very proud of our partnership with Glengoyne, the first Scotch whisky distillery to build its own water treatment wetlands on-site. Our partnership has a natural synergy – the name ‘Glengoyne’ is derived from ‘Glen Guin’ or ‘valley of the geese’ - and so it is no surprise that with more than 12 years of successful collaboration, Glengoyne continues to support a number of different WWT projects, from the Blue Recovery Fund, to the Wetlands Can! Campaign – calling for the creation of 100,000 hectares of healthy wetlands in the UK - to direct sponsorship of the WWT Caerlaverock reserve.

Glengoyne’s support of WWT Caerlaverock is helping to deliver fundamental work that is carried out on our reserve - providing vital habitats for barnacle geese and wider wetland-dependent species and enabling essential repairs and aesthetic improvements to bird hides on-site, so that visitors can enjoy the wonderful wildlife that has found its home on the reserve.

A bird hide is a shelter or structure that is often highly camouflaged to look like surrounding flora to observe wildlife in general, but in particular, birds, at close quarters. The purpose of a bird hide is to conceal the presence of birdwatchers from detection by the birds and to provide birdwatchers with protection from the weather. They are a really important part of the reserve’s visitor experience.

Glengoyne have funded the repair and restoration of the Silver and Gold Hide, which has been renamed the Glengoyne Hide, to celebrate our partnership and recognise the generosity of their support.

Our partnership with Glengoyne also sees an annual visit of eager volunteers to Caerlaverock. Raring to get stuck in and get muddy, they have helped out with a number of activities. In February 2024, 9 volunteers from Glengoyne supported David Picket, Caerlaverock’s Centre and Reserve Manager and his team, with a beach clean. This involved a long walk along tussocky ground to the high tide mark on the Solway clearing up with winter debris. They collected several bags each, finding all kinds of litter to be taken out of the waterways and disposed of responsibly. The team also helped with a bonfire to burn gorse to improve natterjack habitat on the edge of the saltmarsh.

David Pickett, Caerlaverock’s Centre & Reserve Manager:

“Glengoyne have helped us rebuild and restore one of our hides which will really enhance people’s nature experience on the reserve. We also get a group of Glengoyne people come down once a year and help us with management on the reserve. We really like them coming here because they always leave the reserve in a better state than when they arrived.”