magilligan point nature reserve

Magilligan Point is the tip of one of the largest sand dune systems in the British Isles. The way the coastline constantly changes here is of particular interest and is one of the main reasons the site has been declared a nature reserve. Many metres of sand-dune can disappear in a sudden winter storm in what may appear to be severe erosion. However the cycling of sand around the foreland and out to the Tunns Bank has been going on for centuries. The dunes have advanced and retreated again many times. In the last twenty years more than fifty scientific papers have been published about Magilligan and the story is still being unravelled. In summer many different wild flowers add a splash of colour to the dunes. Harebells and bird's-foot trefoil are followed later by thyme and pyramidal orchids. On warm days butterflies such as the common blue or meadow brown are plentiful. Look out also for the six-spot burnet moth. For bird-watchers the Point offers good views of seabirds using the narrows and in winter, migrating waders and wildfowl.