BIRDWATCHERS will be able to visit one of the largest puffin colonies in Britain next year with the launch of a new boat service to a world-renowned seabird island.
The Isle of May, just off Scotland's east coast, is home to around 45,000 pairs of puffins, as well as guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, fulmars and shags.
The island is a nature watcher's dream and now avid wildlife photographers will be able to get up close to the numerous seabirds on Isle of May Photography Trips, which will start in April.
Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Seabird Centre are running the excursions, which will be led by an expert guide with knowledge on the best locations to capture images. The guide will also ensure the wildlife remains undisturbed
Tom Brock OBE, chief executive of the Scottish Seabird Centre, said: "The Isle of May trips that we hosted in 2011 proved incredibly popular and we were keen to develop this for 2012.
"The specialist photographic trips have been established in partnership with our Seabird Seafari team and Scottish Natural Heritage to ensure the best possible visitor experience.
"The boat will also pass the Bass Rock en-route, with the chance to witness the 150,000 gannets that call this amazing location home for a large part of the year."
David Pickett, Scottish Natural Heritage's Isle of May reserve manager, added that the island offers some of the best wildlife in the area.
He said: "The Isle of May is an incredible place with different wildlife throughout the seasons: it's home to the oldest Scottish bird observatory and for more than 30 years the island has been an important seabird research station.
"Amateur and professional photographers alike will have three hours on the island for these specialist trips, led at all times by an expert guide, and it will be a fantastic opportunity to really get up close and personal with what is some of the most spectacular wildlife in the region."
The Isle of May is a National Nature Reserve owned and managed by Scottish Natural Heritage and is home to a range of wildlife, including grey seals.
In early summer the cliffs of the island are heaving with nesting seabirds and the noisy spectacle will be able to be witnessed from the boats or from the cliff-top path during the trip.
Passengers will travel to the island from North Berwick harbour in a high speed boat before being able to watch the puffins parading outside burrows or whirring overhead.
The number of the birds increased from a mere handful in 1959 to an estimated 68,000 pairs in active burrows in 2002.
However, the population has since declined dramatically, with a reported 45,000 pairs in 2009.
The colony has been monitored by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology since 1972 and each year the number of puffins, the amount of eggs they lay and the chicks they rear are measured by scientists.
Experts claim this has given invaluable insight into the island and the seabird.
The boat trips are open to over-18s only and cost £45 per person, although Scottish Seabird Centre members will receive a 10% discount.
The excursions will take place from April to September.
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