Thank you
Here in Scotland, we have a tendency to think that spectacular and important wildlife is for other parts of the world to enjoy and worry about. Australia has the Great Barrier Reef, Africa has lions, Antarctica has penguins… What do we have?
Well, Scotland is a mecca for the world’s seabirds. From the spectacular and riotous gannet colonies to the colourful and cute puffins nesting in their burrows, we are fortunate enough to share our seas and coasts with enormous colonies of globally important seabirds.
This was the inspiration of the local residents and volunteers who came together to found the Scottish Seabird Centre 25 years ago.
Their vision has had an extraordinary legacy. The Centre now welcomes
and inspires around 170,000 visitors a year, connecting them to the incredible natural environment on our doorsteps. And our team carry out vital conservation work: looking after the islands for seabirds and future generations, restoring lost habitats like seagrass meadows, and keeping our beaches clean. All of this has only been possible thanks to the commitment and passion of our volunteers and members.
Thank you to all of you for your incredible work and support, and here’s to another 25 years of the Scottish Seabird Centre!
Harry Huyton CEO
Image © Helen Pugh
25 Years of the Scottish Seabird Centre
With the 21st of May 2025 marking the 25th birthday of the Scottish Seabird Centre, it’s time to go back through the archives and explore our history…
Origins
The vision for our charity came from local businessman and community councillor Mr Bill Gardner MBE in the late 1980s. He spotted the opportunity to bring the Firth of Forth’s wildlife closer to people by using technology, minimising disturbance in the process.
It took a lot of hard work and patience from a dedicated team of volunteers (led by Frank Thomas) and supporters to bring the vision to reality; but the charity was finally formally registered in 1997.
Neil Rankin CBE was the founding chairman of the charity and Tom Brock, a zoologist and tourism manager, was appointed as its first CEO, leading the organisation until 2018.
The Early Days
The construction of the Centre began in March 1999 owing to a large portion of funding from the Millennium Commission, which used UK National Lottery funds to support communities. Located in North Berwick, East Lothian, it was designed to resemble a bird’s wing and marked a striking and distinctive new landmark in the harbour. The Centre received a royal launch when it was officially opened on 21 May 2000 by the then HRH Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay.
The royal reception didn’t end with the opening. There was a huge sense of pride among those at the Charity, and in the North Berwick community, when Her Majesty The Queen and HRH Prince Philip visited the Scottish Seabird Centre to present our Volunteers with the Queens Award for Enterprise in 2009.
In 2012, David Windmill took over as Chair and guided the charity through significant changes. In 2016, an underground ‘flyway tunnel’, to explain bird and marine mammal migration patterns, was constructed, and remains a popular part of the experience today.
Conservation, Education, and Community
Susan Davies, FRSB was appointed as the new Chief Executive between January 2019 - January 2025, marking the intention to focus more on the Charity’s conservation, education and science communication objectives, as well as playing a more prominent role in the local community.
Recent Upgrades
An extensive refurbishment of the visitor attraction was undertaken in 2019, upgrading the Discovery Experience with new story boards, digital interactives, and a virtual reality experience installed. The Learning Hub was updated too for educational and community-based activities (and funded by the Robertson Trust and Ellem Foundation). In addition, the welcome area, café, and gift shop were transformed, offering visitors a more local and sustainable range of products.
The refurbishment was generously funded by donations from the Coastal Communities Fund, the Wolfson Foundation, Scottish Enterprise, Ellem Foundation, the Hugh Fraser Foundation, and AEB Charitable Trust, alongside a range of other small charitable foundations and individual donations.
A significant upgrade of the remotely operated cameras on the Bass Rock was also completed at this time. Funding came from the Dulverton Trust, The Robert Barr Charitable Trust, other charitable trusts, individual donations, and significant contributions from our Friends for Life and Founder Members.
Throughout the refurbishment project the Charity received both creative and financial support from its brilliant Volunteer Group.
We are incredibly grateful to all who have supported us, and those who continue to do so.
Challenges
Like many others, the Charity faced financial challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. We launched an urgent appeal to survive the short-term impacts and – with the backing of natural history heroes, Chris Packham and Simon King –£200k was raised from our members, individuals, local and national government, trusts, and foundations! We remain extremely thankful to all those who allowed us to remain open and return to our conservation, education, and community work.
The pandemic problems weren’t over yet, however… Highly-pathogenic avian influenza (avian flu) reared its head in 2022. The disease rampaged
through many seabird colonies and the Northern gannets on the Bass Rock suffered severe declines of 25-30%. During this time, we became one of the go-to organisations for information on the impact of avian flu.
Avian flu did offer the opportunity to build new partnerships with the University of Edinburgh and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. Together we monitor the impact of the disease on the Bass Rock gannets. This vital work continues to this day.
In 2024, our Discovery Experience was severely damaged by a significant internal flood forcing its closure for 9 months. But, we are pleased to say that, as of October 2024, we have now reopened and have been thrilled to welcome you back.
We’re very excited for what the future holds and look forward to having you, our members, with us every step of the way. To find out more about what you can do to help us, visit www.seabird.org.
Where to see Puffins in scotland
Itching to see some puffins?
These colourful and charismatic birds are only here between April and July when they return to Scotland’s islands and coastlines to nest in burrows. The following locations are just some of the incredible places you can visit to have a good chance of spotting them. From the remote and rugged islands of St Kilda to the scenic Isle of May, read on to find out where you can go to spend some time with these charming seabirds.
1. St Kilda (National Trust for Scotland). Remote, rugged, and wild, the extremely isolated island of St Kilda is the UK’s only dual UNESCO World Heritage Site. Found far off the West coast of the Outer Hebrides. It also holds the UK’s largest puffin colony, with a staggering 130,000 estimated breeding pairs! Day trips are offered by several boat operators.
2. Shiant Isles. With the second largest puffin colony in Scotland, the Shiants are home to around 10% of the UK’s entire breeding population. This is one of Scotland’s more remote puffin colonies, but boat trips are available from the Isle of Harris. These islands are privately owned but seabird conservation has recently been supported by RSPB and NatureScot.
3. Handa Island Wildlife Reserve (Scottish Wildlife Trust). Located just off Scotland’s mainland, Handa Island is a haven for seabirds with puffins regularly spotted around the Great Stack at the island’s South coast. A ferry service runs between the island and mainland.
4. Dunnet Head (RSPB). Located in Caithness, Dunnet Head is not just the Northernmost point of mainland Scotland, it’s also a fantastic place to spot puffins! Although located in the far reaches of the Scottish Highlands, it is one of the few places in Scotland where puffins can regularly be spotted from the mainland.
5. Hermaness NNR (NatureScot). Located in Shetland, Hermaness NNR lies at the very edge of Scotland, looking right out to Muckle Flugga, its most Northerly Point. The tall cliffs, vast ocean, and green slopes make this rugged landscape a must-visit location. If that isn’t enough, there are also loads of puffins here! With over 20,000 pairs breeding atop the steep rockface, this might just be the most scenic puffin-watching spot in Scotland. Getting here from mainland Scotland requires a few ferry journeys – but it’s definitely worth it.
6. The Treshnish Isles (National Trust for Scotland). Located in the Inner Hebrides, the Treshnish Isles are a group of small islands uninhabited by people but bustling with seabirds. The Isle of Lunga, the largest in the group, is also home to thousands of breeding puffins. With incredibly close views more than likely at the right time of year, this is a must-see colony. The Treshnish Isles can be visited on boat tours leaving from the Isle of Mull.
7. The Isle of May NNR (NatureScot). Known as the Jewel of the Forth, the Isle of May is home to over 50,000 breeding pairs of puffins every year – the largest colony on the East Coast of Scotland! This island is accessible from East Lothian, with boat trips running from here at the Scottish Seabird Centre, and Fife, with the May Princess sailing from Anstruther most days.
We also run boat trips around the local islands in the Firth of Forth from which puffins can regularly be seen! Find out more on our website at www.seabird.org/boats.
Images © Jamie McDermaid
feathers, fish, and Wildlife ‘firsTs’:
Spring on the Seabird Islands
Spring is a time for much anticipated ‘firsts’ in the outdoors. If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent the last few weeks looking for the appearance of bees, buds, and migratory birds, bringing with them the promise of warmer days and reminding us of what we’ve been missing over the winter months.
The islands are no different. From mid-February onwards, our eyes are peeled for seabird ‘firsts’; the first gannet soaring over Bass Rock, the first puffin floating on the water near Craigleith, the first cormorant nest on the Lamb, the first seabird eggs spotted on Fidra. There’s something very special about seeing these familiar species returning to the islands, once again filling them with noise, movement, and drama.
For the Scottish Seabird Centre conservation team, Spring is a time for action on the islands. After the return of our conservation boat to North Berwick Harbour (usually in March), the race is on to make sure that the islands are in good condition for the returning seabirds before the breeding season begins in earnest.
Image © John Hunt
This includes working with our brilliant volunteers to tackle tree mallow, an invasive plant that we have been removing through the SOS Puffin Project partnership for more than 18 years. If left unchecked, tree mallow spreads quickly, taking over the islands and preventing the puffins from nesting and rearing their young.
Although huge progress has been made in reducing the spread of the plant during this time, a large, viable seedbank remains in the soil. This means that new tree mallow seedlings appear throughout the year which need to be tackled by our dedicated volunteers. We’ve been treated to some beautiful weather over the past few weeks, along with incredible sightings of fishing razorbills, cackling fulmars, diving gannets, grey seals, and a peregrine falcon (to name just a few).
In addition to our work combatting tree mallow, we’ve been busy completing essential biosecurity monitoring on the islands, carefully checking for the arrival of invasive ground predators, like rats and mice, which could threaten the nesting seabirds. As well as checking monitoring stations, we keep a keen eye out for unusual tracks and signs
that could indicate the arrival of a new predator. Nothing concerning has been spotted so far this spring, but we’ll continue to keep a lookout throughout the year.
As the seabirds return, we need to prepare for another season of research and seabird surveys. This year, preparations include installing some solar trail cameras on Bass Rock, which will allow us to trial new ways of monitoring productivity in the gannet population.
As the season rolls on, we’ll be keeping an eye out for even more wildlife ‘firsts’, not least the first seabird chicks starting to hatch! Why not join us in spotting signs of new life on the islands on our live cameras, or by visiting a Scottish seabird colony to experience these remarkable wildlife wonders first-hand?
Emily Burton Senior Conservation Officer
seabird PhotograPhY CoMpetition
Scotland is home to internationally important seabird colonies. From the mighty gannets of the Bass Rock to the spectacular puffinries of St Kilda, over 5 million seabirds breed around our shores each year. Wherever you are along Scotland’s coast, the sight and sound of seabirds will be an integral part of your summer seaside experience.
On World Ocean Day, 8 June 2025, we will launch our new Seabird Photography competition. We’re asking amateur photographers of all ages to capture images that represent Scotland’s amazing seabirds.
We’re looking for shots of all 24 seabird species that breed around Scotland. The best images in each category will be shown in our winter exhibition alongside detailed descriptions of where to see them, what makes them so special and their conservation status. The top 12 shots will be printed in our 25th anniversary calendar. Income from the sale of these calendars will help support our vital seabird conservation projects, working to ensure that these iconic species can be enjoyed around our coasts for generations to come.
We’re thrilled to have two very special judges on side to help us choose the winners: zoologist, wildlife TV presenter, author and our Seabird Ambassador Megan McCubbin; and Wildlife Photographer of the Year category-winner, presenter and wildlife expedition guide Rachel Bigsby. Helping them with the selection will be our Senior Conservation Officer, Emily Burton and Jamie McDermaid, our talented resident photographer and Marketing and Communications Officer.
As members, we know you love and value Scotland’s seabirds as much as we do and hope that many of you will submit your stunning images to the competition.
We’ll be sharing more details soon!
Images (clockwise from top left) © Pete Ivin, © Jamie McDermaid, © Greg Macvean
speaking Up for our seas
No to Berwick Bank
There’s no doubt that Scotland –and the world – needs renewable energy. Lots of it. But we believe that must be achieved in harmony with nature. When it comes to offshore wind farms, that means locating them in the right place and avoiding those parts of the sea that are most important for nature and vulnerable to negative impacts. Which is why the Scottish Seabird Centre continues to object to SSE’s proposed Berwick Bank wind farm.
At around four times the size of Edinburgh, Berwick Bank will be one of the largest wind farms in the world, located around 45km off the East Lothian coast. Its sensitive location, which includes foraging grounds for many of the Firth of Forth’s seabirds, means that it is predicted to kill many tens of thousands of seabirds - including gannets, kittiwakes, razorbills and guillemots. Proposals from the developer to mitigate this enormous impact have fallen well short, leading to the Scottish Seabird Centre formally objecting to the proposed development in 2023.
Since then, the case against Berwick Bank has only got stronger. There are now many other proposals for offshore wind farms coming forward in less sensitive areas, often using new floating technology which means they can be positioned in deeper seas, far away from seabird colonies. However, the sheer size and potential impact of Berwick Bank is slowing their progress. The Scottish Seabird Centre, RSPB and other partner organisations have written to the First Minister to set out these concerns and ask that he ensures Berwick Bank is not consented. We believe this is the right thing to do for seabirds, for nature and for the future of the offshore wind industry.
Take Action for Seabirds
Go to our website and email Gillian Martin (Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy) to say no to Berwick Bank.
Scan here
Good News for Puffins!
If you are fortunate enough to see a puffin returning from a successful fishing expedition, the chances are that it’s sandeels you’ve seen hanging out of its beak. Sandeels are a key food source for puffins and other seabirds. They are small, eellike fish that often form huge shoals, but they have been depleted in the North Sea by industrial sandeel fishing. The Scottish Seabird Centre has long called for this practice to be prohibited, and we are delighted that this has finally happened, with a ban due to come into force in Scotland and the rest of the UK this year.
Scottish Seabird Action Plan
In December 2024, we welcomed Gillian Martin, Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, to the Scottish Seabird Centre for the launch of the long-awaited draft Seabird Action Plan. The Plan sets out what the Scottish Government will do to protect Scotland’s seabird species for future generations and, with seabirds in steep decline and facing new pressures from avian flu and offshore wind, we believe that it could not be more important
or urgent. The Scottish Seabird Centre is calling on the Scottish Government to improve the plan and, in particular, to ensure that it is backed with adequate longterm funding for the restoration and protection of seabird colonies, as well as action to address unsustainable fishing practices.
Harry Huyton CEO
The nexT 25 years for scotland’s seabirds
This year, we celebrate 25 years of the Scottish Seabird Centre – 25 years of inspiring people to connect with Scotland’s marine world and protecting the extraordinary seabirds that call our seas home. This incredible journey has only been possible because of supporters like you.
This anniversary isn’t just about looking back but about looking forward. The next 25 years will be critical for our seabirds. Climate change, habitat loss, overfishing, plastic pollution, and disease are pushing many species to the brink. The UK’s puffin population alone could decline by up to 90% by 2050. Without action, our seabird populations may become an increasingly rare sight along our coasts in the future.
We know that change is possible. Thanks to conservation efforts like our SOS Puffin project, we’ve helped Craigleith’s puffin population recover from fewer than 1,000 pairs to over 5,000. But there is still so much to do.
As we look to the future, we invite you to be part of it. By leaving a gift in your will to the Scottish Seabird Centre, you can help secure a future where seabirds thrive. No matter the size, your legacy will support transformational conservation and education projects, protecting Scotland’s marine world for both wildlife and the people who cherish it.
A gift today could mean a better future for seabirds tomorrow, next year, and 25 years from now. If you’d like to learn more, visit https://www. seabird.org/gifts-in-wills or chat to us by phoning 01620 890202.
Florence Gygax Partnership Development Manager
help ProtecT scotland’s seas
Please donate to support our work and help secure the next 25 years for Scotland’s seabirds.
To donate, simply scan this code or call us on 01620 890202
Image ©
Jamie McDermaid
