Isle of May Landing – Wildlife & History Tour

The Isle of May is so close to Edinburgh yet exists in its own remote environment at the edge of the North Sea. Marine wildlife, history and mystery are woven through time.

We sail along the John Muir coastline to, and around, the Bass Rock, where we gain an insight into the gannet habitats. Gannets stay on the rock in large numbers until October each year. Then we sail 12 miles out to sea to slowly cruise around the Isle of May watching different bird species and seals before landing at the island’s small jetty.

• sail around one of the World’s largest colonies of Northern gannets
• land at the Isle of May
• join our optional guided tour with access to historic buildings
• roam at your leisure, watching for migrant seabirds
• visit the historic buildings and ruins on the isle

We combine history and nature on one exhilarating tour.

• Sail along the John Muir coastline and around the Bass Rock to see one of the World’s largest colonies of northern gannets.
• Then we sail 12 miles out to sea to slowly cruise around the Isle of May.
• We land at a small jetty at the nature reserve run by Nature Scot. All visitors have a maximum stay of up to 3 hours on shore.
• You can choose to join our walking tour of the Isle lasting about 45 minutes with our specialist guide, then roam at your leisure. Our tour takes you into some of the historic buildings and lighthouses.
• If you prefer to walk alone or concentrate on photography, then you are welcome to do this for the full 3 hours on land. We can direct photographers to the best locations.
• The main bird breeding seasons will be over, and the island is transitioning to become a seal breeding colony whilst looking for the arrival of migrant birds.
• A must-do tour for anyone keen on watching the natural world in its historic environment, for birders and photographers.
• Our specialist guide is on board and available on the Isle to give informal information. We have no scripts because nature is different every day.

On this tour …

• Bass Rock – one of the World’s largest colonies of Northern gannets
• Isle of May landing
• join our optional guided tour with unique access to historic buildings
• roam at your leisure to watch different bird species
• historic buildings on the isle

And there are no..

• pick-ups at other harbours – this tour sails only from Dunbar harbour
• shops on the Isle of May

Other information..

• Please arrive at least 20-30 minutes prior to sailing time for a safety briefing and fitting life jackets. If you are late, we cannot wait for you.
• We ask that you select tours suitable to you and consider other passengers on board. Our longer tours are less suited to very young children so our prices reflect this.
• You should be sufficiently mobile to board and disembark at harbour steps which might be steep, or small jetties which might be wet or slippy (e.g. with seaweed or seawater). We’ll help you board and if you have any doubts or concerns, then please contact us in advance.
• Wrap up warmly in the winter and springtime. In summer, bring clothing layers and a waterproof/wind jacket.
• Bring a snack, drink (we recommend no fizzy or carbonated drinks)
• Seating for all passengers is inside the cabin and there is also a viewing deck outside.
• Leave no Trace –   For safety and to avoid disturbing wildlife please do not throw litter into the sea or on islands. Please put your litter in bins on board or take it back to shore with you and dispose of it responsibly.
• The Isle of May is a National Nature Reserve and visitor numbers are limited each day. This means that BlueWild tours can visit once with only 12 people per day. If a scheduled tour is fully booked, a separate private tour is not possible, and vice versa.