Isle of May nature reserve reopens to public

Members of the public are able to return to Isle of May National Nature Reserve from today.

Main boat operators will be sailing to the island in the Forth - although numbers will be restricted due to social distancing.

The reserve is home to thousands of seabirds during spring, with more than 80,000 pairs nesting - including more than 40,000 puffins.

Guillemots, razorbills, shags and kittiwakes also nest on the high west cliffs of the island.

David Steel, NatureScot reserve manager, said: "We will be opening the nature reserve safely to the public this coming Monday, so people can come see the thousands of nesting seabirds.

"As always, we encourage people to visit to experience the wild beauty of this east coast island, but also to do so safely for fellow visitors – as well as to protect wildlife by staying on designated paths.”

Credit: NatureScot/Lorne Gill

Other sights on the island include more than 1,200 nesting female eider ducks. This duck will sit tight on four to five eggs and not move throughout her four-week incubation.

The May is also home to one of the largest grey seal colonies in the UK, with thousands giving birth in the autumn months, and it is home to a medieval monastery.

Boat trips run to the island from Anstruther and East Lothian.