Isle of May opens for the season

A record-breaking almost 13,000 visitors came ashore to the Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) national nature reserve in 2017 for the chance to see thousands of spectacular seabirds, including the largest concentration of nesting puffins along the east coast; and learn about the island’s cultural heritage.

David Steel, SNH’s Isle of May reserve manager said, “This is an exciting time on the May, when we look forward to welcoming the season’s first visitors, and our first seabirds’ return, including the ever-popular puffins. In this, the Year of Young People, we’ll also be working with a range of youth groups, with some of them meeting puffins for the very first time.

“There’s a whole variety of events coming up this season, including family fun days and a weekend celebrating the island’s seals. There will also be free, open access to the Stevenson lighthouse. My advice to visitors of all ages, is: for close-up views of truly characterful birds, book your place on a boat soon!”

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Background information

The May is open almost daily (weather dependent) from 31 March to 30 September with boats sailing from Anstruther harbour.

It’s free to visit the nature reserve, but you must take a boat trip to reach the island. Sailings are on the privately-run May Princess or Osprey of Anstruther from the Anstruther Harbour or through the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick.

• Anstruther - for tickets and details, see www.isleofmayferry.com (May Princess) or www.isleofmayboattrips.co.uk (RIB Osprey).
  
• North Berwick - For tickets and details, book online on the Scottish Seabird Centre website at www.seabird.org or call 01620 890 202.

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 has 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.

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PHOTO CREDIT - SNH 

MEDIA QUERIES - for more information, contact SNH media & PR officer, Carrie Wieteska on carrie.wieteska@snh.gov.uk or 0131 316 2631 or the SNH main press office in Inverness on 01463 725 022.