The anticipation surges as the cries of thousands of sea birds are heard over the engines of the May Princess, powering her ever closer to the island. The skies transform into a whirlwind of gannets, gulls and kittiwakes, and colonies of seals herald our arrival with barks and groans as they slip into the water to follow our progress through the narrow rock gully of the island’s harbour. This is a standard greeting from an island renowned for being one of the best places in the UK to see puffins, with historic gems and a walk on the wild side to boot.
Located on the edge of the Firth of Forth the Isle of May is owned by NatureScot. In breeding season, from April to August, it is home to 90,000 puffins and vast seabird cities of kittiwakes, razorbills, guillemots, shags, fulmars, gulls and Arctic terns. Eider ducks nest on its shores and about 2,000 grey seal pups are born here every autumn.
After a short welcome from the warden, the walk starts by heading uphill from the jetty, turning left before the visitor centre. Pass the Priory, the ruins of a 12th-century monastery built in memory of St Adrian, martyred here by Norsemen in 875. The monks were thought to use herb lore to treat pilgrims searching for a miracle cure. Detour left to a precipitous rock gully where shags sit in oversized nests built of seaweed, while razorbills and kittiwakes cling to the precipitous guano-streaked rockface and guillemots stand in regimented rows on the ledges below.
Continue clockwise on the north plateau, its surface pocked with puffin burrows and coloured with sea campion, thrift and celandine. Pass South Horn to reach Pilgrim’s Haven with its distinctive Angels Stack and cacophonous bird colonies watched by webcams from the Scottish Seabird Centre. Detour on marked paths that hug the coast to reach the end of the peninsula above the Mill Door, a natural arch. Return inland above Mill Loch to the main island track. Turn left up Fluke Street, once the lighthouse keeper’s home, then climb the steep Palpitation Brae above the bathhouse to visit the Robert Stevenson’s Lighthouse and the Beacon, Scotland’s oldest lighthouse.
Continue east along the main track, the High Road, with an optional detour to Bishop’s Cove to see puffins. At the end of the track, opposite the neighbouring island of Rona, retrace steps to a left fork onto the Low Road. Head towards the bird observatory in the Low Light lighthouse, then through the tunnel under High Road. Return to the jetty enjoying fine views over the lower, eastern side of the island.
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Information
Distance 3 miles;
Terrain Easy
Map LR 59 St Andrews; OS Explorer 371 St Andrews & East Fife
Start Jetty, Isle of May. Grid ref: NT 660 991; Lat/Long 56.183206, -2.551067
Getting there From Anstruther, East Neuk of Fife, Anstruther Pleasure Cruises (isleofmayferry.com) offers passage on the May Princess, a 100-seat boat, every day from April 1 to September 30 (weather permitting), for 5-hour trips, which include up to three hours on the island. It also operates Osprey, a fast rigid inflatable boat (RIB), for groups of up to 12, with two to three hours on the island. From North Berwick, East Lothian, the Scottish Seabird Centre runs fast RIB trips with 3 hours ashore (seabird-centre.seafari-edinburgh.co.uk).
Walk An easy-to-follow circular island walk on clifftops to view seabird colonies and visit historic sites. No dogs permitted, and visitors must keep to the paths.
More information islandeering.com
Islandeering
For more walks try Islandeering: adventures around the edge of Britain’s hidden islands by Lisa Drewe. Available from Wild Things Publishing.
