Isle of May

The Isle of May lies eight kilometres off the coast of Fife in the outer Firth of Forth. It is a narrow island, about 1.5 kilometres long and 0.5 kilometres wide, owned by NatureScot as a national nature reserve. The western cliffs rise to 45 metres, while the eastern shore has three small beaches—Pilgrims Haven, Kirkhaven and Silver Sands. A northern peninsula called Rona is almost cut off at high tide. The island has no permanent residents today, though it once housed St Adrian’s Priory in the Middle Ages. The island draws around 11,000 visitors each year who arrive by ferry from Anstruther, Dunbar or North Berwick in a 45-minute crossing. From October to Easter it closes to protect seal pups, but the rest of the year it offers one of Britain’s largest puffin colonies. Nearly 300 bird species have been recorded here, including kittiwakes, razorbills, guillemots and terns. Grey and harbour seals breed on the island, with about 3,000 pups born annually. Whales and porpoises are sometimes seen offshore. Visitors find a windswept landscape of basalt cliffs and grassy slopes. The remains of St Adrian’s Chapel stand near the old lighthouse, its buildings protected as historic structures. A bird observatory hosts up to six overnight guests, while live cameras let others watch seabirds and seals from a distance. The island’s faults and gullies cut through dark-green basalt, and the sheltered eastern beaches offer calm spots to land. From the cliffs, wide views stretch across the Firth of Forth to the hills beyond.