Scolt Head Island National Nature Reserve is the prime example of an offshore barrier island in the UK. It is situated on a dynamic coastline and is steadily growing westward. Main habitats: beach, shingle ridges, dunes, salt marsh and mudflats Area: 727 hectares Management: owned by National Trust and Norfolk Wildlife Trust and managed under lease by Natural England Features of interest The saltmarshes are considered to be among the finest in the UK and are the best documented and researched in the world. The island supports nationally and internationally important numbers of breeding terns (sandwich, common, arctic and little) and wintering wildfowl, and waders such as brent geese, shelduck, wigeon, teal and curlew. The plant communities of the dunes and saltmarshes are classic examples of their type. Vegetated shingle ‘lows’ contain plant species of national importance such as matted sea lavender and sea heath. Directions The island is on the North Norfolk coast, 10 kilometres west of Wells-Next-The-Sea. The site is reached by a ferry from the village of Burnham Overy Staithe on the A149. The ferries are seasonal, operating from April to September. Further information on these is available from the Deepdale Visitor Information Centre. If you wish to reach the island in your own vessel you should refer to the Brancaster Harbour conditions of Launch and General Directions document. For launches from Burnham Overy Staithe see the information board at the harbour. Burnham Overy Staithe is on the route of a major trail, the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path, and is near National Cycle Route 1. The nearest train stations are in King’s Lynn and Sheringham. Bus services from the above stations to local villages are provided by Lynx Bus (Coastliner service) and Sanderson Coaches Ltd (Coasthopper service). Dogs We allow dogs on the reserve at certain times of the year. Be aware that from:
September to March - you can bring your dog to the site, but you must keep it under close control
April to August - you cannot walk your dog here because it’s the bird breeding season
Contact Email: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk Telephone: 0300 060 3900