Isle of May
Seabird experts and researchers will be on hand to answer any questions and talk about the lives of seabirds, including puffins, while Claire McNeil and Karine Polwart will entertain the kids and the young at heart with magical songs and stories about the sea in the South Horn with its fantastic acoustics. The kids can also be transformed into the seabird of their choice by talented face-painters.
It's the peak season for seabirds on the island, as shown on recent episodes of both BBC Springwatch and Countryfile.
David Pickett, the Isle of May reserve manager, said: “You couldn’t find a better time and place to celebrate the Year of Natural Scotland than the Isle of May on the 16th. It will be an action-packed day for families and for anyone with an interest in seabirds – at a time when the May itself is packed with all kinds of wildlife.”
Advance booking is recommended. Normal charges apply to reach the island by boat, but access to the island is free. Sailings are on the privately-run May Princess and the RIB Osprey from the Anstruther Harbour or through the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick
Known locally as ‘The May’, this small island sits on the edge of the Firth of Forth. The island’s importance for sea birds has drawn scientists to its shores for many years, and the May is home to the oldest continuously running bird observatory in the UK. The May is also a regular haunt for grey seals, often seen lounging on the shoreline rocks.