10 best coastal birdwatching spots

For ospreys

Caerlaverock Wetlands Centre, Dumfriesshire

Saltflats, green hillscapes, riverbanks and the grey Irish Sea offer the perfect setting to see ospreys soaring high before plunging to catch fish - with a wingspan of 1.7 metres, they are breathtaking. A camera in the eyrie gives live footage of the nest, and you can see similar televised views of the barn owls that breed here, too. In summer, the meadows buzz with life, and in winter it's likely you'll see peregrine falcons and merlins high-speed hunting.

Open daily except 25 December, 10am-5pm (01387 770200, wwt.org.uk).