Clyde Marine Birding Cruises

The SOC Clyde Branch is delighted to announce a new initiative, the Clyde Marine Birding Cruises.  These fieldwork trips are being run to support ornithological recording in the Clyde, associated sea lochs and islands.

They’ll support surveys such as WeBS, raptor work and the upcoming national atlas. Along with the above, it’ll be a great way to enjoy Clyde birding from a different perspective and perhaps get those photographs you’ve always wanted. The boat trips will be  birding amongst some of the most stunning scenery in Scotland. Arran, Kyles of Bute and Loch Long.

This new initiative builds on work conducted many years ago when the ornithological value of the Clyde was recorded. It’s time to go back to see how it’s changed!     The dataset for all the previous Clyde Pelagics has been retained and it would be great to do a paper for Scottish Birds on the data comparison.

The project is a partnership between the SOC, Clyde Charters and the optics are supplied by Viking Optical Ltd. ​

Trip are expected to resume in February 2026

Outing Reports:

Trip 1 - August 2025   
Trip 2 - September 2025   
​Trip 3 - September 2025  

Cost:

The cost is £55 per person which is a substantially reduced rate that we have negotiated with our conservation partner, Clyde Charters. The trips last 8 hours. The price includes tea, coffee or hot chocolate. There’s a toilet and an internal area in case of inclement weather.

On occasion there will be a member of Seawatch or Clyde Cetacean Sightings on board too.

The Clyde Marine Birding Cruises will be midweek for now - but if successful there is scope to run them at weekends too.

There are three fieldtrips, all last 8 hours. They are as follows:-

Route 1 :
​Clyde Estuary and Loch Long. 

Start: Inverkip to Cloch Point, Sugar Boat, back west to Holy Loch turning north up Loch Long to Loch Goil then up to Arrochar. Ideally land for lunch and the return south to Inverkip.

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Next Trip:

TBC

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Route 2:
​Arran. ​

This route leaves Inverkip and goes down to the Cumbraes and then heads to Lochranza. It is as close to the route we can replicate for the Clyde Pelagic Cruises we did on a monthly basis many years ago.  Calling into Lochranza for lunch and Golden Eagles. If the weather’s with us, returning via the Kyles of Bute.   

Next Trip:

TBC

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Route 3:
​Inverkip to Loch Striven. ​

Inverkip and down the Clyde and up to the head of Loch Striven. A birding day on the Clyde and into Striven with Golden and White-tailed Eagles.

Next Trip:

TBC

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