A Great Day Out Puffin-Spotting On The Isle Of May, Scotland

If you ask me for my favourite places I’ve been to in Scotland, I’ll reel off a list of popular haunts, but there’s one you might not have even heard of: the Isle Of May.

I’ve now been to the Isle Of May twice, yet for some reason I’m only writing about it now. On our first visit, I didn’t yet have a zoom lens, so apart from anything else, I’ve been hoping to go back for better photos. I’ve raved about it to a few people after an incredible visit, and eventually we planned to go back with Ash’s parents, as his Dad is very into bird photography so a boat trip made an excellent birthday present.

Last year, our day on the Isle Of May was one of the highlights of our entire year. I’ve waited until now to write about it because by the time I’d caught up with all my Japan content, it seemed pointless doing a post at the end of the season. Puffin season starts now (or very shortly!), so it makes more sense to bring attention to it now.

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So firstly, where even is it? Well, we are incredibly lucky because it’s not very far from us. It’s off the coast of Edinburgh, somewhere between Fife and East Lothian. Boat trips leave from both sides, though the one from North Berwick is one of those RIB boats and takes much longer. If you want something a little smoother, the main boat excursions leave from Anstruther in Fife.

These were taken about an hour apart:

Read more about Fife: Exploring The Cute Coastal Towns Of Fife, Scotland

You might be surprised to hear that somewhere so far south is one of the best places to see puffins in the UK, and particularly somewhere so accessible from Edinburgh! I hadn’t even heard of it until we moved here.

The Isle Of May is a National Nature Reserve, which means the birds are well protected and visitor numbers are very limited. There are roughly 100,000 puffins, with populations varying year on year. When we first went in 2020, there were 90,000 – last year, they reckoned there were 120,000. Regardless, it’s A LOT of puffins!

This is one of those places where no photos can do it justice. Close-up shots of puffins are great and full of character, but have you ever watched rows of them chilling on rocks, interacting with each other and biding their time with mouthfuls of eels? Have you ever had thousands flying above your head as you walk across a wild island?

And have you ever sailed past an island in complete peace, seals splashing on the shore as you go past, and thousands of seabirds lining the cliffs?

It’s something you’d expect to experience hundreds of miles from civilisation; not a few miles off the coast of a capital city.

Both times we’ve visited, we’ve gone with Anstruther Pleasure Cruises on their May Princess boat. You MUST book well in advance – it’s virtually always sold out. It runs from the 1st April to the end of September, however usually puffins are on land between mid-April and early August. I’d recommend May, June or early July.

Funnily enough, our first visit was the end of July, and it was amazing. We saw SO MANY puffins; literally thousands. And yet, we got back to the boat and someone was commenting on how quiet it had been compared to a trip they’d taken a month before.

So this time, we went mid-June, and it was unreal.

Don’t expect to be able to get *too* close to the puffins – unlike some puffin-spotting locations, the island provides a respectable distance between paths and burrows. That doesn’t make it any less magical. It’s fascinating watching their social circles interacting, seeing them bide their time before swooping off cliffs or returning to their burrows.

The thing about the Isle Of May is that it’s so much more than the puffins, too.

The second you step off the boat, you are warned to stick rigidly to the path as arctic terns swoop down to protect their habitat. This is a large reason why visitor numbers are so limited. Puffins? Curious. Terns? GTFO my house.

Tern territory ends five minutes up the path where you’ll reach a small information centre. Don’t expect any fancy facilities here, as it mostly serves as a sheltered viewing platform with some information boards, but there are toilets.

From there, follow the path up to the lighthouse (not the left hand path which we took last year and ended up going up a steeper path alongside a little loch!) and eventually take a left towards Bishop’s Cove.

On our first visit, we walked all the way to the end where it overlooks off-limits neighbouring Rona and back along the other side, but to be honest our favourite spot was Bishop’s Cove, where you can sit by the cliffs and just watch the world (and thousands of birds) go by.

Read about another puffin hot spot: Four Islands, One Epic Weekend On The Isle Of Mull

My other favourite spot is if you turn left from the boat and then keep going to the end of the island (which isn’t far in this direction; maybe ten minutes).

Here, scores of puffins line the rocks. The cliffs aren’t as impressive but the birds are fantastic and you get a really good vantage point.

And beyond the puffins, you’ll see thousands of guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, shags, cormorants and gulls. There are also lots of seals and even the odd eider duck.

One of my favourite sights was this shag with chicks, next to a bunch of razorbills.

We even saw a peregrine falcon on our way back out from the island, pointed out by one of the boat crew. We would never have spotted this ourselves, or at least not without scouring the clifftops with binoculars!

In fact, one of the highlights of the whole trip was the peaceful excursion around the south of the island before we set off back towards Anstruther.

The sheer number of seabirds was mindboggling, and the scenery phenomenal. Plus the weather had cleared up completely! It goes to show how quickly it can change when the haar is covering the land.

Keep an eye out too, particularly around the lighthouse, for eider ducks and rabbits. Rabbits were introduced here, and due to their famous nature, the population has increased substantially. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you when you’re older.

So there really is all sorts of wildlife on the Isle Of May!

Read about another island where you can spot puffins: Why You Should Visit Orkney

Here’s a quick low-down on all you need to know about the practical side of visiting.

Where is the Isle Of May?

The Isle Of May is in the Firth Of Forth off the coast of Edinburgh, five miles from the Fife coast.

How do you get to the Isle Of May?

Boat trips leave from Anstruther in Fife, and North Berwick and Dunbar in East Lothian. Both of these are an hour from Edinburgh.

I’d recommend the trip from Anstruther on the May Princess as it’s a more comfortable boat – plus you can end the day with the famous fish and chips from Anstruther Fish Bar! The boat trips from North Berwick are on RIBs with the Scottish Seabird Centre, or Blue Wild also offer a small boat tour which includes a sail around Bass Rock, and depart from North Berwick or Dunbar. You can also get a RIB experience from Anstruther with Isle Of May Boat Trips.

When should you visit the Isle Of May?

Boat trips run from April to September, but I’d recommend May, June or July as the best months to visit. If you want to see puffins, they leave in early-mid August. We visited the Treshnish isles in the first week of August a few years ago and missed the puffins by a day!!

What should you bring to the Isle Of May?

Bring layers – warm and waterproof clothing is essential. We’ve had decent weather both times we’ve been there, though last time we were stuck in the haar – sea fog – for a while. And it’s Scotland, so you never know when it will suddenly rain. Equally, you might get quite warm walking on the island, so layers are the best way to go.

Also, bring water and snacks. There’s a small kiosk on the boat with drinks and basic snacks, but absolutely nothing available on the island itself.

And, of course, bring a camera!

Overall, the Isle Of May is just unbeatable for wildlife and seabird watching in Scotland.

We are really lucky in Edinburgh to be in close proximity to both this island and the iconic Bass Rock, just off the coast of North Berwick, which is home to thousands of gannets. If you want puffins, the Isle Of May is best. But if you want gannets, nowhere is better than Bass Rock. We did see a handful of gannets from the boat, but it’s nothing like seeing flocks of them on land in their thousands.

So far, the Isle Of May has been my favourite place to see puffins. It’s a really special place for seabirds and NatureScot do an excellent job of protecting them.

If you have the chance, I highly recommend a visit.

Here are some more places I love in Scotland, where you can also spot puffins:
⭐ Staffa and Lunga (from the Isle of Mull)
⭐ Brough Of Birsay, Orkney
⭐ Bullers of Buchan, Aberdeenshire (I’ve not visited yet, but it’s on the list for this year!)
⭐ Handa Island (also not been here yet but it is on the NC500)
⭐ Westray, Orkney

And some where you probably won’t:
⭐ My Highlights Of Edinburgh
⭐ Visiting Hoy: A Day Trip To The Highest Island In Orkney
⭐ Getting Loch-y: A Sunny Day Out In The Trossachs