My son and I visited in August, one day after the last puffin had buggered off to sea. Earlier in the year the island is practically carpeted with puffins.
The Isle of May is a small, almost uninhabited, island in the Firth of Forth. I was going to post a potted history but the NLB do it better than I could.
Although most visitors see it as a nature reserve there is a lot of evidence of human occupation.
Approaching the island.
This lighthouse is still in use, but has been worked remotely since 1989. Until 1972 the keepers lived in the lighthouse.
The first lighthouse. I believe it was once double the height. This was basically a big fire at the top of the tower.
One of many caves on the south side of the island.
The Low Light. This was used in conjunction with the main lighthouse to allow sailors to avoid the North Carr rock. It was superseded by the North Carr Lightship which I believe has been mentioned elsewhere on the forum.
One of the thousands of feathered inhabitants. I don't care what anybody says, I like seagulls.
The lighthouse again, and two of the hundred visitors.
Another view of the Low Light
This is all that's left of the Island, a ship that ran aground in the 1930s. There were remains of another wreck until a few years ago. I took this picture through my binoculars, can you tell?
The same picture taken with the camera alone on full zoom.
One of two foghorns. My son wanted the horn to go off and scare the seagull.
The path went over this.
Reservoir tanks and pipework for the foghorns. The pipes ran the full length of the island.
I'm not sure what this was for, maybe it was a fresh water supply.
The compressors for the foghorns must have been in there somewhere, along with generators to run the lighthouse.
Taken from the boat just before we left.
I think this was an attempt to photograph a seal. They bob up and down like those "whack-a-crab" machines.
Another of the many caves. I'm sure the Famous Five were hiding from smugglers in one of them.
The Isle of May is well worth a visit. It's not particularly cheap (£17 for an adult) but it's worth the money. It really is a magical place, which I probably haven't managed to convey in my photos. My pictures were taken hurriedly on a point-and-squirt camera because there is a lot to see in a limited time. If you want to see puffins go earlier in the year than I did.
The Isle of May is a small, almost uninhabited, island in the Firth of Forth. I was going to post a potted history but the NLB do it better than I could.
Although most visitors see it as a nature reserve there is a lot of evidence of human occupation.
Approaching the island.
This lighthouse is still in use, but has been worked remotely since 1989. Until 1972 the keepers lived in the lighthouse.
The first lighthouse. I believe it was once double the height. This was basically a big fire at the top of the tower.
One of many caves on the south side of the island.
The Low Light. This was used in conjunction with the main lighthouse to allow sailors to avoid the North Carr rock. It was superseded by the North Carr Lightship which I believe has been mentioned elsewhere on the forum.
One of the thousands of feathered inhabitants. I don't care what anybody says, I like seagulls.
The lighthouse again, and two of the hundred visitors.
Another view of the Low Light
This is all that's left of the Island, a ship that ran aground in the 1930s. There were remains of another wreck until a few years ago. I took this picture through my binoculars, can you tell?
The same picture taken with the camera alone on full zoom.
One of two foghorns. My son wanted the horn to go off and scare the seagull.
The path went over this.
Reservoir tanks and pipework for the foghorns. The pipes ran the full length of the island.
I'm not sure what this was for, maybe it was a fresh water supply.
The compressors for the foghorns must have been in there somewhere, along with generators to run the lighthouse.
Taken from the boat just before we left.
I think this was an attempt to photograph a seal. They bob up and down like those "whack-a-crab" machines.
Another of the many caves. I'm sure the Famous Five were hiding from smugglers in one of them.
The Isle of May is well worth a visit. It's not particularly cheap (£17 for an adult) but it's worth the money. It really is a magical place, which I probably haven't managed to convey in my photos. My pictures were taken hurriedly on a point-and-squirt camera because there is a lot to see in a limited time. If you want to see puffins go earlier in the year than I did.
