It’s Puffin season! Here's where to spot them in Scotland

Scotland’s windswept coast is puffin-packed once more.

Between April and August each year, hundreds of thousands of Atlantic puffins return to Scotland’s shores to breed. Known for their distinctive bright beaks and feathers, these seabirds have kindled affection in the hearts of Scots and visitors alike. The Scottish coast’s remote, rugged islands and steep cliffs inacessible to predators offer ideal conditions for puffins to nest and raise their chicks – which very well may be the most adorable thing you’ll ever lay eyes on.

Locally known as ‘Tammy Norries’, puffins spend the majority of their lives out at sea, returning to their life-long land base only to breed. They are exceptionally loyal creatures, mating for life and often even returning to the same burrow each year.

With the warmer months upon us, it’s the perfect time to set out on a Scottish adventure in search of these endearing and charismatic birds. Read on to discover the best places to see puffins in Scotland.

Orkney

Spring and summer are the best times to see puffins in Scotland. (Credit: Unsplash/Phil Robson)

The archipelago of Orkney offers several spectacular vantage points for viewing puffins, with the most famous and accessible being the Castle o’ Burrian on the island of Westray. Here, hundreds of puffins dot the grassy ledges of the sea stack, making it an unforgettable place to watch them dive and dart back to their burrows.

If you’re keen to maximise your puffin sightings, the new Ultimate Puffin Experience with Wild Orkney Walks, which takes small groups from Kirkwall to Westray along a clifftop path, is a stellar way to deepen your knowledge of these fascinating birds. 

Isle of May

Puffins are creatures of habit, often returning to the same burrow every year. (Credit: Unsplash/Jonny Gios)

The Isle of May is squarely one of the best places to see puffins in Scotland, thanks to its 100,000-strong colony of breeding puffins – the largest on the country’s east coast. Hop on a boat trip from the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick or the fishing village of Anstruther in Fife to catch the action. 

Shetland

Shetland’s grassy cliffs make the perfect breeding grounds for puffins. (Credit: Pexels/Adam Stuart Clark)

The Shetland Islands’ rugged cliffs, weathered with nooks and crevices, make the ideal home for puffins to gather in numbers. Sumburgh Head offers easy access, while the dramatic cliffs of Hermaness National Nature Reserve are a haven for large colonies of puffins and other breeding birds such as fulmars.

Can’t get enough of Scotland’s adorable animals? The Puffins & Ponies tours with Shetland Explorer Tours combine two of Shetland’s most loved native creatures into a single four-hour experience, with highlights including Sumburgh Head Lighthouse and the Mousa viewpoint. 

Dunnet Head

Dunnet Head is one of the only places on mainland Scotland where you can regularly see puffins. (Credit: Pexels/Teyi)

Teetering on what feels like the edge of the world at the northermost point of mainland Scotland, Dunnet Head is a veritable dreamland for birdwatchers. Although it’s located high up in the Scottish Highlands, it is one of the few places in the country where visitors can reliably spot puffins on the mainland. The DIY Puffin Tour by Seawolf Tours is a self-guided experience that includes viewing guidance such as the best times to see the puffins and maps to their burrows.  

Inner Hebrides

Admire the adorable birds on the Island of Mull. (Credit: Unsplash/M Zonderling)

Comprising more than 35 islands, the Inner Hebrides along the west coast of Scotland delivers fantastic puffin viewing – especially on the uninhabited Isle of Lunga. The archipelago offers the opportunity both for island-hopping and puffin spotting. Take a wildlife trip with operators such as Staffa Tours, who take guest from Tobermory to the Island of Mull, and Turas Mara, running trips from Oban or Ulva Ferry to the Island of Mull. These blend landings on Lunga for up-close puffin encounters with visits to the jaw-dropping island of Staffa and mystical Fingal’s Cave.

Handa Island

Each spring, tens of thousands of seabirds migrate to the beguiling sandstone cliffs of Handa Island. Managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, the reserve is one of the best places to see puffins in Scotland and is accessible by a quick, 10-minute ferry from Tarbet. Hike the loop trail around the island and look out for puffins as well as razorbills, guillemots and kittiwakes, plus otters, dolphins and minke whales.