The Islands of Bass Rock, Craigleith and Fidra

Details of our destinations.....

Bass Rock

The jewel in the crown and the largest of the islands, Bass Rock is home to one of Britain’s largest colonies of the North Atlantic Gannet.

What you see in the photo are gannets – the colony is now estimated at 150,000 birds – which return each year to breed and lay their single egg.

The Bass is also home to guillemots, razorbills, puffins, kittiwakes and shags. Peregrine falcons are also to be found on the island. Seals can also be spotted in the mouth of the cave on the north-west side of the Rock.

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Craigleith

The ‘Craig’ as it is also known (photographed here in all its splendour from the top of North Berwick Law) is home to the largest puffin colony on the southern side of the Firth of Forth.

Guillemots, razorbills, shags and cormorants also nest on the Craig and in recent years a pair of peregrine falcons has returned there.

 

 

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Fidra

Fidra, also pictured here from the top of the Law, is the only island that has a small harbour. This means that passengers can land for 30 minutes to get up close to the puffins, but be careful as the island is now home to an ever-expanding gull colony and they don’t welcome visitors !!

Fidra was said to be a favourite with Robert Louis Stevenson and it has been suggested that it was the inspiration for “Treasure Island”.