Moffat Community Nature Reserve

Visit Moffat Community Nature Reserve and discover the wonderful wildlife that has made its home in this former quarry.

There’s something to see whatever time of year you visit. Look for the richly coloured insects, dragonflies, butterflies and bumblebees in the wildflower meadow in spring and early summer, the wading birds, Curlew, Snipe and Lapwing in winter or the Little Grebe, Geese and Mute Swans feeding on the lochan all year round.

There are lots of opportunities to volunteer throughout the year and a great range of events such as bat walks and building bug hotels. Find out what’s going on from the Moffat Community Nature Reserve website or from their Facebook page.

The reserve is open throughout the week from 8.00am to 8.00pm. Entry is free.

You can find the reserve by following the brown signs for the Community Nature Reserve from the A701 between Moffat and the M74.

Lots to see and do

Spot an orange-tip or small tortoiseshell butterfly - spring into summer
Look out for dragonflies and damselflies over the ponds - spring into summer
From the hide at the seasonally flooded meadow, look out for curlew and snipe - autumn into winter
Walk around the seasonally flooded meadow and listen out for the 'peewit' of the black and white lapwing - end of winter
Take a look at the sightings' board and sign the visitors' book in the hide close to the car park - all year round
Look out for wild flowers - you may see chewings fescue, crested dog's tail, selfheal or meadow buttercup - late summer
Count the number of Canada geese and white swans - all year
Pick up acorns, leaves or 'mini-beasts' and place under a magnification lens at one of the 'magni posts' - all year

From quarry workings to working for wildlife

Over one million tonnes of sand and gravel were extracted from the Dyke Farm quarry by Patersons of Greenoakhill Ltd. The owners kindly sold the site to the Moffat and District Community Nature Trust to turn the quarry workings into a nature reserve.

The old weighbridge is now part of a wildflower meadow and the sand pits are wildlife pools.

The project to transform from quarry to nature reserve was assisted by Scottish Natural Heritage, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Moffat and District Wildlife Club, LandTrust, Dumfries and Galloway LEADER programme with assistance from the Scottish Government and European funding, Moffat and District Community Initiative, Patersons Quarries and Solway Heritage.