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Top places to spot otters
Secretive by nature and spread across just a few locations throughout the country, otters are a rare find for wildlife spotters. But thanks to the conservation efforts of our rangers and volunteers, there are holts at a number of National Trust places, from the Pembrokeshire countryside to the centre of Winchester.
- Stackpole, Pembrokeshire
- Otters were once very rare, but they are now doing well in the rich and protected environment around the Bosherston Lakes at Stackpole. You stand a good chance of seeing one in daytime, especially in the eastern arm of the lakes. Stackpole even has its own otter expert, volunteer ranger Jim Bebbington, who leads guided wildlife walks around the estate.Visit Stackpole
- Winchester City Mill, Hampshire
- You might not expect to find otters in the middle of an urban area, but these special creatures are regular visitors to Winchester City Mill. The Mill even has observation equipment in place to record their adventures, and visitors can enjoy clips from the archive or even watch the live feed of the river bank.Visit Winchester City Mill
- Berrington Hall, Herefordshire
- The lake at Berrington is home to lots of wildlife, but some of them are more secretive than others. Fortunately there’s an 'otter cam' on site, which regularly catches images of the resident otters on their night time adventures. The team are working hard to conserve this habitat, in the hope that they’ll get even more sightings of these special creatures.Visit Berrington Hall
- Penrose, Cornwall
- Staff and visitors at Penrose have had sporadic sightings of otters over last 20 years. In 2016 the team set up a camera and got proof that there was at least one otter in the area. Since then they’ve been hard at work improving the habitat for otters, and in autumn 2016 built a special otter holt with the help of volunteers.Visit Penrose
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