Days Out NI
Nature & wildlife Comber

North Strangford Lough NNR

Free shore walks where thousands of brent geese gather every autumn.

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OpenOpen all year, no set hours. Wildfowl bes…
FreeNo ticket needed
ComberNature & wildlife
Get directionsOfficial website
2 hoursHow long
FreeEntry
All agesBest for
On leadsDogs
FreeParking

North Strangford Lough NNR — Free shore walks where thousands of brent geese gather every autumn.

  • What you'll see: Pale-bellied brent geese, curlews, oystercatchers and waders; mudflats, shells and crabs at low tide.
  • Season: Open all year, no set hours. Wildfowl best September to winter; brent geese peak in October.
  • Dogs: Allowed, but must be kept on leads at all times (ground-nesting and feeding birds).
  • Parking: Free car parks at Island Hill, Floodgates and Gas Works, plus lay-bys along the A20.
  • Food: None on site. Bring a picnic; picnic tables at Island Hill. Cafés in Comber nearby.
  • Toilets: Public toilets at the Island Hill car park.
Plan your visit

Thousands of geese and a causeway that appears at low tide

From the Island Hill car park a path leads down to a stone causeway that's only uncovered when the tide goes out. Time it right and you can walk across to Rough Island and out onto the flats, with views toward Newtownards one way and Comber the other. Watch for pale-bellied brent geese in September and October, plus curlews, oystercatchers and other waders feeding on the 2,400 acres of mudflat. Bring binoculars if you have them. Always check tide times before you set off, because the causeway floods when the tide comes back in.

Free Brent geese in autumn Tidal causeway walk Toilets Free parking Dog-friendly
Good to know before you go:

As a free open reserve there are no ticketed events, but autumn and winter are the real seasonal highlight, when the brent geese and wading birds arrive in their thousands. Nearby WWT Castle Espie runs its own family events through the year if you want guided wildlife days.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 🔭BinocularsHalf the fun is spotting the birds, seals or deer before they spot you.
  • 👟Walking shoes or welliesPaths can be soft, grassy or muddy after rain — comfy waterproof feet win.
  • 🧥A coatOut in the open the weather changes fast; dress for it and enjoy the fresh air.
  • 💧Water and a snackReserves are quiet places — few have a café, so pack a little something.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Cost
Free
Opening / season
Open all year, no set hours. Wildfowl best September to winter; brent geese peak in October
Best for ages
All ages who enjoy an outdoor shore walk; not a play or petting attraction
What you'll see
Pale-bellied brent geese, curlews, oystercatchers and waders; mudflats, shells and crabs at low tide
Food
None on site. Bring a picnic; picnic tables at Island Hill. Cafés in Comber nearby
Toilets
Public toilets at the Island Hill car park
Parking
Free car parks at Island Hill, Floodgates and Gas Works, plus lay-bys along the A20
Dogs
Allowed, but must be kept on leads at all times (ground-nesting and feeding birds)
Accessibility
A viewing platform at Floodgates; the shore paths and tidal causeway are uneven and muddy, so not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies
How long to allow
1 to 2 hours for the walk; longer if you pair it with Castle Espie
Address
Island Hill, Ringcreevy Road, Comber, Newtownards, Co. Down (grid ref J 508706)
Questions

Before you go

Is it free?
Free
What will we see?
Pale-bellied brent geese, curlews, oystercatchers and waders; mudflats, shells and crabs at low tide
When is the best time to go?
Open all year, no set hours. Wildfowl best September to winter; brent geese peak in October
Can I bring the dog?
Allowed, but must be kept on leads at all times (ground-nesting and feeding birds)
Where do I park?
Free car parks at Island Hill, Floodgates and Gas Works, plus lay-bys along the A20
Getting there

North Strangford Lough NNR is at Island Hill, Ringcreevy Road, Comber, Newtownards, Co. Down (grid ref J 508706). Free car parks at Island Hill, Floodgates and Gas Works, plus lay-bys along the A20. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

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The story

About the place

North Strangford Lough is a National Nature Reserve covering around 2,400 acres of intertidal mudflat and sand at the top of Strangford Lough. It is one of only a handful of habitats of its kind in Northern Ireland and is internationally important for the migratory wildfowl and waders it supports.

The reserve's eel-grass beds are the main food source for pale-bellied brent geese, which arrive from the Arctic each autumn. Over 60% of the entire world population feeds here, with numbers peaking in October. In summer, Ogilby Island provides breeding sites for sandwich terns and black-headed gulls.

The site is managed in partnership with the National Trust, whose Strangford Lough warden looks after the wider lough. Island Hill, with its free car park and short causeway walk to Rough Island, is the easiest place for families to reach the shore.