Puffins Socialise on the May, framing Bass Rock & Berwick Law

I had originally intended to simply post the photo above to show how serene and restful the May was yesterday with many of their 45,000 inhabitants out socialising, as they do. With their ‘pufflings’ now grown and departing daily, this scene will soon be rare as the adults head out to sea for the winter.

But Scotland on Sunday today carries an article on ‘puffin therapy’ where visitors to Dervaig on Mull can be landed on one of the Treshnish Isles to commune with the 3,000 puffins there. As Dr Nick Baylis, a consultant psychologist and wellbeing expert, says: “As animals ourselves, we have a born need to be in the wild and if we don’t spend time in nature, it can make us ill. Communing with birds like puffins, is as important as sunshine or sleep or vitamin C. Puffin therapy is a great way to get that fix.”

Speaking from experience, I can thoroughly recommend a couple of hours among them—but you don’t need to trek over to Mull. Fifteen times as many of these utterly charming and comical locals live on the May, plus three times more on Craigleith, both served from North Berwick. But the short season is ending, so you’d better get on your bike/boat.

Puffin Productions present a scene from the film "Zulu"—WWII Radar Station above Holyman's Road, Isle of May