Puffins in Scotland: Where, When and How to See Them

Meet Scotland's Atlantic puffin

The colourful bird you see around Scotland's coasts in spring and summer is the Atlantic puffin, Fratercula arctica. Puffins are seabirds, not penguins. They fly, "fly" underwater using their wings, and spend the winter out at sea, only coming ashore to breed. They nest in burrows dug into grassy slopes, or in gaps among the rocks.

The bright orange and yellow bill is at its best in the breeding season. After breeding, the colourful outer plates of the bill are shed and the bird looks much duller, which is why most people only know the summer version.

Six things worth knowing

1. They spend the winter at sea. Outside the breeding season they spread out across the North Atlantic, so you won't see them from the coast.
2. They raise one chick a year. The chick is called a puffling. Its parents make repeated fishing trips, often coming back with a row of small fish held crosswise in the bill.
3. They nest under your feet. Grassy cliff tops can hide burrows, so stepping off the path can crush a nest.
4. They're built for the water. Puffins use their wings to swim underwater after small fish, which makes them better divers than fliers.
5. A beak full of fish means a chick. Never stand between a puffin with fish and its burrow for a photo.
6. Colonies are under pressure. Food supply, warming seas, storms, pollution, disease and predators all affect seabirds, so respectful visits matter.

When is the best time to see puffins in Scotland?

Late April to July is the general window, and May, June and early July are the most dependable months. Some adults arrive earlier or stay into August, but if you plan for the edges of the season you risk missing them. By late summer, the adults and young have left for the open sea, and a colony that was busy in June can look almost empty a few weeks later.

Where can you see puffins in Scotland?

Scotland has puffin colonies on both coasts and across the northern isles. The best choice depends on where you're travelling, the time of year and whether you'd rather see them from a boat or from land.

Isle of May and the Firth of Forth (near Edinburgh)

The Isle of May, at the mouth of the Firth of Forth, is one of the biggest puffin colonies on the east coast and a National Nature Reserve. Boats run in season from Anstruther in Fife and from North Berwick. Closer to North Berwick, the small islands of Craigleith and Fidra also have puffins you can see from wildlife cruises. Bass Rock is famous for its huge gannet colony rather than puffins.

This is the easiest puffin trip from Edinburgh, and it's what our puffin tour from Edinburgh is built around.

Staffa and the Treshnish Isles (off Mull)

Boat trips from Mull and nearby coasts visit Staffa, with its basalt columns and Fingal's Cave, and Lunga in the Treshnish Isles, where the puffins can be very relaxed around visitors. Some sailings land and some watch from the water, depending on the sea.

Handa Island (Sutherland)

Handa is a Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve with tall sandstone cliffs and huge numbers of guillemots, razorbills and great skuas. Puffins nest here too, though in smaller numbers than at the biggest colonies. A small ferry runs from Tarbet in the summer.

Dunnet Head (Caithness)

The most northerly point on the British mainland is one of the few places you can see puffins from land without a boat trip, on the cliffs below the lighthouse in summer.

Shetland and Orkney

Sumburgh Head in Shetland, an RSPB reserve, is one of the most accessible seabird colonies in Britain, with puffins close to the path. Hermaness on Unst, Shetland's northern tip, has large numbers too. Orkney has puffins at several coastal sites. Stay behind barriers and keep to the paths.

St Kilda (Outer Hebrides)

St Kilda, far out in the Atlantic, is home to the UK's largest puffin colony. It's the hardest to reach, with day trips by boat from Harris and Skye when the weather allows. Our blog tells the story of why St Kilda was evacuated.

Puffin tour from Edinburgh: boat trip and castle

Our Puffin Boat Trip & Castle Day Tour leaves Edinburgh for Tantallon Castle, North Berwick and a two-hour wildlife cruise around the Firth of Forth islands. Boat and castle tickets are both included. The day is timed around the tides, so departure and return times change with the date.

• Season: selected departures from 1 May to 31 July.
• From £142 per person, with a 50% deposit to book.
• Ages 7 and over, and never more than 16 travellers.
• Not included: lunch (there are cafés in North Berwick) and waterproof clothing for the boat.

How to plan a puffin trip

• Book ahead. Seasonal sailings and island landings have limited space. Book early and check times again close to the day.
• Keep your schedule flexible. Wind, swell and tides affect small boats, so don't plan a tight connection straight afterwards.
• Dress for the water. Bring warm layers and a proper waterproof. A calm harbour can still mean a cold crossing.
• Think about seasickness. Follow the operator's advice, and ask a pharmacist about medication if you need it.
• Bring binoculars. They often give you a better view than chasing a close-up photo, and they keep you at a respectful distance.
• Protect your camera. Expect salt spray. Leave drones at home around colonies.

Give nesting puffins the space they need

The best encounter is one where the bird carries on as if you weren't there. If a puffin changes direction, stops heading to its burrow or looks alert, step back.

• Stay on marked paths. Burrows can be hidden under the grass, and one step off the path can collapse a nest.
• Never block a burrow. Adults with fish need a clear route to their chick.
• Don't feed puffins or other seabirds.
• Follow local instructions. Reserve staff, skippers and guides know what's happening at the colony that day. The Scottish Wildlife Trust has more on puffins and how to help them.

More Scottish wildlife