Puffin Boat Trip & Castle Day Tour from Edinburgh - Tickets Included
Puffin Boat Trip & Castle Day Tour from Edinburgh
Cruise Scotland’s east coast in search of puffins and seabirds, explore dramatic Tantallon Castle and enjoy the seaside town of North Berwick—all tickets included.
Wildlife, a clifftop castle and the Scottish seaside.
Leave Edinburgh for a day shaped by the North Sea. Explore Tantallon Castle above the cliffs, enjoy lunch and free time in North Berwick, then take an approximately two-hour wildlife cruise towards the offshore islands during puffin season.
Puffins are the headline, but the coast is alive with much more: gannets, seals and other seabirds may all appear. Your guide adds the history and local stories on land, while the included cruise puts you close to one of Scotland’s great marine habitats.
Look for Scotland’s famous puffins
Head towards the offshore islands for the opportunity to see these colourful seabirds in their coastal habitat.
Spend around two hours on the water
Your wildlife-cruise ticket is included, with the chance to spot seals, gannets and other coastal wildlife as well as puffins.
Explore Tantallon Castle
Walk through this dramatic medieval ruin high above the North Sea, with wide views towards Bass Rock and the surrounding islands.
Enjoy a Scottish seaside town
Pause for lunch, browse local shops or walk beside the harbour and beach with views across the Firth of Forth.
Edinburgh to Scotland’s east coast
Travel to Tantallon Castle and North Berwick before heading out onto the North Sea for the wildlife highlight of the day.
Castle, seaside town and wildlife cruise
These are the three principal parts of your day. Their order can change because the wildlife boat schedule follows the tides.
Tantallon Castle
Explore this imposing medieval stronghold on the cliffs above the North Sea. Walk through its ruins, hear the stories of the powerful Douglas family and look out towards Bass Rock and the offshore islands.
North Berwick
Enjoy time in North Berwick for lunch and a wander. Choose a local café or restaurant, browse the town or stretch your legs beside the harbour and sandy shoreline.
Puffin & Wildlife Boat Tour
Head onto the water towards the offshore islands for the chance to see puffins, seals, gannets and other seabirds while learning about the Firth of Forth’s marine ecosystem.
The crossing is exposed to real North Sea conditions. Bring warm waterproof outer layers and consider carefully whether the boat trip is suitable if you are prone to sea sickness.
The itinerary and its order are a guide. Tides, boat timings, weather, sea conditions, attraction access and other operational circumstances can require changes.
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What’s included & important boat information
Included
- Wildlife and puffin boat-tour ticket
- Entry to Tantallon Castle
- Fun, friendly Scotland tour guide and storyteller
- Transport throughout the day
- Air-conditioned touring vehicle
- Coastal scenery, local history, myths and legends
- Small-group touring with a maximum of 16 guests
Not Included
- Lunch and snacks
- Waterproof clothing for the boat trip
Where and when to meet your guide
Outside The Jolly Botanist
256–260 Morrison Street
Edinburgh
EH3 8DT
Your exact departure time depends on your chosen date because the boat schedule follows the tides. Check the time shown when booking and arrive 15 minutes before it.
The live booking calendar and your confirmation show the correct time for your selected date.
Allow flexibility for your returnTides, sea conditions and traffic can affect the day, so avoid tightly timed onward travel.
Full departure information →Why travellers choose Scotland’s Wild
The puffins may bring you to the coast. The guide, the people and the stories shared along the way are often what stay with you.
Come for the puffins. Remember the whole day.
Your guide is your friendly local connection on land: the person who brings Tantallon’s history to life, helps the coast make sense and keeps a tide-shaped day feeling clear and relaxed.
We want you to have time to look properly, ask questions and enjoy the company around you—not simply rush between a castle, a town and a boat.
Puffin Day Tour FAQs
The important details about puffin season, the wildlife cruise, changing departure times and your east-coast day.
When does the Puffin tour operate in 2026?
The current 2026 schedule runs on selected dates from 1 May to 30 July, during the main period when puffins are nesting around the Firth of Forth islands.
Availability is live in the booking calendar. Puffins and other wildlife are wild animals, so individual sightings can never be guaranteed.
Is the wildlife boat trip included?
Yes. Your wildlife boat-tour ticket is included in the advertised tour price, as is admission to Tantallon Castle.
How long is the wildlife cruise?
The boat section lasts approximately two hours. Conditions on the water can feel considerably cooler and wetter than on land, so bring warm waterproof outer layers.
Who should not take the boat trip?
The boat tour is not suitable for people who are pregnant or who have back problems or injuries.
Please also consider carefully whether an approximately two-hour sea journey is suitable if you or anyone in your party is prone to sea sickness.
What time does the tour depart and return?
There is no single fixed time. Departure and return times change by date because the wildlife boat schedule follows the tides.
Use the exact time shown for your selected departure and arrive 15 minutes early. Avoid arranging tightly timed onward travel after the tour.
Where does the tour leave from?
Meet outside The Jolly Botanist, 256–260 Morrison Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8DT.
Please arrive 15 minutes before the departure time attached to your selected date.
What is the minimum age?
The minimum age is 7 years old. Children aged 7 and over are welcome provided the boat journey and the rest of the day’s activities are suitable for them.
How do I secure my place?
A 50% payment is required when booking. The remaining balance is automatically collected 8 days before departure using the payment method attached to your booking.
What is the cancellation policy?
For this scheduled day tour:
- 8 or more days before departure: full refund.
- 4–7 days before departure: 50% refund.
- Within 3 days of departure or no-show: no refund.
Where do we stop for lunch?
The itinerary includes time in North Berwick, where you can purchase lunch from local cafés or restaurants.
If you have strict gluten-free or complex dietary needs, bringing a packed lunch is recommended.
What should I bring?
Bring warm layers, sturdy comfortable footwear and your own waterproof outer clothing. Waterproofs are not supplied for the boat trip.
Sun protection and a small reusable water bottle are also worth bringing.
Can I bring luggage?
Small bags, rucksacks and handbags are fine. Contact us before booking if you need to bring a suitcase or larger luggage so available storage can be checked.
Will there be bathroom breaks?
Yes. There are opportunities to use facilities at locations around the east coast during the day.
Can the route operate in a different order?
Yes. Tantallon Castle, North Berwick and the boat trip may be visited in a different order depending on tides, boat schedules, weather, sea conditions and other operational circumstances.
Ready for Scotland’s wild east coast?
Join a small group for puffins, seabirds, a clifftop castle and a relaxed taste of North Berwick—all in one tide-shaped day from Edinburgh.
