Isle of May National Nature Reserve

Isle of May best time to visit and seasonal birds

January: the Isle of May is closed to ordinary visitors. Its winter rocky-shore birds include Turnstone and Purple Sandpiper, but Lady’s Bed is not a public winter destination. Read the operator and observatory reports while planning a permitted spring visit rather than seeking an unadvertised landing.

February: ordinary public landings remain outside the season. The rocky shore may hold resident Rock Pipits and Oystercatchers around Lady’s Bed, but these ecological records do not grant access. Reserve a later sailing and keep winter birdwatching on an appropriate mainland public route.

March: seabirds begin returning and the observatory can report Puffins and migrant Goldcrests, while ordinary landing access is still a separate question. Choose April onwards for Green Face and Greengates. Use the operator’s current year programme rather than extrapolating a staff March trip.

April: typically watch Guillemots from Green Face and Greengates, Kittiwakes at South Horn and Shags from Lady’s Bed. Puffins gather along the marked grassland paths. After the landing briefing, choose a short circuit that leaves a comfortable margin for the ferry return.

May: usually combine the main cliff watch at Green Face with Eiders at The Loch and Kittiwakes at South Horn. The marked Fluke Street path can add Swallows and Pied Wagtails. Keep away from burrow entrances and follow any tern-related diversion set by island staff.

June: typically give Green Face and Greengates time for Guillemots and Razorbills before comparing Shags at Lady’s Bed. Eider groups can use The Loch. June is a colony-observation visit: slow down at a productive public viewpoint instead of searching for a particular nest.

July: usually choose the earlier part for the fullest auk-colony experience at Green Face. Puffins remain a strong subject on the authorised paths, while South Horn can add passing Gannets and Manx Shearwaters. Colony attendance changes as birds leave; a dated report helps set expectations.

August: typically shift towards late Puffins, Shags and passage birds. Lady’s Bed offers the rocky-shore view for returning Turnstones and Purple Sandpipers, with the Main Light public path a Wheatear option. The breeding-season character can change rapidly, so do not assume June’s ledges remain busy.

September: usually combine offshore Gannets, Manx Shearwaters and Common Scoters from South Horn with a quiet migrant search along permitted Fluke Street path margins. Wheatears and Chiffchaffs may pass through. The remaining public sailing season sets a firm limit on how long to linger.

October: ordinary visitor landings have ended and the island closes for the autumn seal season. Reports may still contain Goldcrests and rocky-shore Turnstones, but neither Fluke Street nor Lady’s Bed is an independent visitor option now. Use the reports for interest and next-season planning.

November: public access remains closed. Oystercatchers and Rock Pipits are resident island birds, and winter waders form part of the rocky-shore ecology, but a mainland departure-harbour walk is a different outing. Do not assume a charter gives permission to land at Lady’s Bed or the main harbour.

December: the island remains outside its ordinary visitor season. Turnstone and Purple Sandpiper are winter island species; seeing a staff report from Lady’s Bed or another shore does not open the reserve. Use this period to choose a spring or summer ferry and a weather-contingency day.

Isle of May opening times, entry and facilities

Reserve admission is free, with the boat journey paid separately. The 2026 ordinary visitor season has finished; NatureScot's reserve blog confirms closure on 1 October. Landing access is normally April–September. Select an actual published sailing rather than relying on general season dates for a particular day. Mainland parking needs to cover the entire trip and check-in. Fife Council's tariff checked on 18 October 2026 gives East Basin a two-hour maximum during 1 April–30 September, charging 80p for one hour or £1 for two hours, 08:00–18:00 daily. That time limit is unsuitable for a normal landing excursion. Choose a lawful longer-stay alternative and read its own signs. The mainland departure postcode is not an island road destination.

Isle of May trails, hides and visit length

There are no hides to connect on a conventional circuit. The map supplied with a ferry booking identifies island paths, viewpoints and landmarks, starting from the harbour and visitor-centre area. Green Face and Greengates provide cliff-colony views, South Horn gives another perspective on Kittiwakes, and Lady's Bed is a named Shag-watching area. Choose a few sustained stops rather than treating every historic structure as an essential detour. Two-hour plan ashore: after the staff briefing, orientate yourself at the visitor-centre information area and choose one safe cliff viewpoint. Give the birds an extended watch, comparing ledges with birds approaching from the sea. Follow the signed path back through suitable Puffin-watching ground and make a second settled stop where it leaves room for others. Begin returning to the harbour well before the instructed boarding time. This editorial plan assumes your operator actually allocates that much shore time. Full-day plan: the travel, check-in, crossing and island visit together form the day. Prepare on the mainland, then use the landing allocation for the west-cliff and southern viewpoints that fit comfortably. A standard visitor sailing does not provide an unrestricted full day ashore. Keep the rest of the day flexible for harbour birdwatching or a coastal walk after returning, rather than attaching a time-critical onward activity. Stay on the mapped paths to protect burrows and ground nests, and do not cross to Rona, the research area. Remain well back from unfenced cliff edges and supervise children closely. Watch a Puffin from a stationary position beside the route; if your presence blocks its return to the burrow, give more space. Carry optics ready for a sea watch as well as the land colony, keeping equipment secure when moving between the boat and shore.

Isle of May boat access and landing

Operator: Anstruther Pleasure Cruises (May Princess); Isle of May Boat Trips (Osprey and Saorsa RIBs).

Booking opens: Isle of May Boat Trips says its 2027 reservations open in early January 2027. A dated 2027 May Princess booking-opening announcement was not found.. Season: Ordinary landings April–September; both Anstruther operators state the 2026 season is finished. Recheck published 2027 departures before booking travel.; closed days: May Princess describes one weekly research day in May and June, usually Tuesdays, with a non-landing cruise option. Use the actual sailing calendar.. Fares: Tariffs displayed and checked on 18 October 2026: May Princess landing £40 adult, £35 concession, £20 ages 3–15, under-threes free. Non-landing May Cruise Around £30 adult, £25 concession and £15 ages 3–15. RIB Isle of May Experience low/high-season adult £47/£57 and child aged 5+ £35/£40; the operator does not define those periods on its trip page, so check the chosen date. These are displayed 2026-season fares, not confirmed 2027 prices.; landing fee: NatureScot reserve entry is free..

Time ashore: May Princess trip 4.5–5 hours with 2.5–3 hours ashore; RIB Experience 4–4.5 hours with 2.5–3 hours ashore. Sea Safari and May Cruise Around do not land.. Landing access: May Princess check-in at the Middle Pier ticket kiosk at least 45 minutes before sailing; boarding begins 30 minutes before. Follow the crew and island briefing.. Weather policy: Landings are not guaranteed. May Princess offers an alternative date or full refund if it cancels; the skipper decides. Check before travel if conditions are uncertain and follow current footwear-cleaning and disinfection instructions.

Isle of May accessibility and step-free routes

Discuss the complete journey with the boat operator before booking if mobility is a concern. NatureScot describes partial disabled access on May Princess, while Anstruther Pleasure Cruises' own current terms state that the vessel is unsuitable for wheelchairs under marine-safety regulations. The operator says it tries to accommodate portable equipment and folding buggies, and requires passengers to manage gangways and steps. Its booking-specific assessment takes priority over a broad accessibility description. The visitor centre itself has no steps and contains a fully accessible toilet. Other island shelters differ: South Horn has a flight of steps with a handrail, and the bath house also has entrance steps. Reaching an accessible building does not remove the need to negotiate the crossing and island paths. Explain your balance, transfer and equipment requirements to the relevant operator, including whether you can fold an aid or walk a gangway with assistance. An open RIB has a different seating and boarding experience from the larger passenger vessel. Choose the trip only after establishing that the whole route suits you, including the return in changing sea conditions.

Isle of May public transport and getting there

Anstruther Harbour is the main Fife departure point. Stagecoach's 2026 Anstruther travel guidance identifies service 95 through East Neuk communities and X61 linking the town with Kirkcaldy and St Andrews. Plan the bus against the actual sailing check-in, leaving a margin for delays and the walk to Middle Pier. The harbour is an interchange with the boat, not the reserve itself. For rail arrivals, use a suitable Fife station and its onward bus or prebooked taxi connection; check the complete journey through the transport operators rather than treating the crossing as the only fixed part of the day. Stay locally before an early departure if the public-transport margin would otherwise be tight. Other licensed trip options depart from North Berwick and Dunbar, as listed by NatureScot. Those are separate mainland journeys and should be booked with the named operator, not reached using an Anstruther ticket. For every departure port, reserve return-travel flexibility because a boat itinerary occupies a substantial part of the day.