Free talk on the wild side of the Isle of May

David, SNH’s manager on the island said, “I’m looking forward to telling people all about the spectacular wildlife that makes the ‘Jewel in the Forth’ so unique – from its 46,000 pairs of puffins to the largest grey seal colony on the east coast of Scotland. I’ll tell you what it’s like to live and work on the island for up to nine months of the year and how my team and I make the magical isle our home for the summer.”

The talk will take place in the Dreel Halls (Lower Hall), High Street West, Anstruther, on Monday 14 March at 7.30pm. The talk is free and open to all. Teas and coffees will be provided.

The island opens to visitors on 26 March. Other events planned for the season include family fun days, an art exhibition, a photography competition and a seabird weekend.

Known locally as 'The May', this small island sits on the edge of the Firth of Forth. The island's importance for seabirds has drawn scientists to its shores for many years and the May is home to the oldest continuously running bird observatory in the UK. The May is also a regular haunt for grey seals, often seen lounging on the shoreline rocks. This island is a historical gem and it's been a place of pilgrimage for centuries with an early island monastery. The May was also the site of Scotland's very first lighthouse, built in 1636, while the current, castle-like lighthouse was designed by the engineer Robert Stevenson.

ENDS

MEDIA QUERIES

Contact SNH media officer, Vicki Mowat, on 0131 316 2659 or vicki.mowat@snh.gov.uk (Tuesday to Friday) or the SNH main press office on 01463 725 022 (Monday).