On my recent opportunity roughly Scotland , I decided that I needed to run into some puffins. Being from the cracking Land Down Under , nosotros receive got lots of birds , but none quite similar the clown of the sea. To run into puffins , you’ve actually got to larn off the mainland together with onto the Hebrides , especially the Treshnish Isles , which were all formed past times a huge volcanic eruption.
The largest breeding the world for puffins inwards Scotland is on a beautiful isle called Lunga , which is a few hours past times boat from Oban. When your conduct tells you lot that roughly 3000 puffins nest there , you lot don’t facial expression the house to endure swarming amongst puffins. You’d endure wrong.
Puffins are curious petty creatures , together with non concerned past times humans. In fact , when humans are virtually , it to a greater extent than frequently than non agency that their predators are scarce , hence they are quite at ease roughly you.
To larn to Lunga , you lot bespeak to receive got a boat from Iona or from Mull. The best way to produce this – together with to run into Staffa , some other of the fantastic Treshnish Isles – is to majority a tour. I went amongst Staffa Tours , who offered a circular trip that took you lot from Oban to Mull , hence from Mull to Lunga , hence to Staffa , hence to Iona earlier they took you lot dorsum to Oban , via Mull. It’s a long twenty-four hr stream , but it’s definitely worth it.
While the animate beingness spotting depends hugely on the fourth dimension of twelvemonth you lot take in , Staffa Tours told us that you’re almost guaranteed to spot puffins betwixt May together with September. I went at the real begin of the flavour together with feared I wouldn’t run into any! I was pleasantly surprised though , together with it was a definite highlight of my trip to Scotland.
The other islands you lot take in are Staffa together with Iona – which are worth a facial expression too. The Isle of Staffa is an amazing basalt isle , amongst caves of columna basalt that you lot tin dismiss walk into amongst relative ease – the private columns run a fighting similar steps. Iona is most unremarkably known equally the birthplace of Christianity inwards Scotland , because St Columba landed at that topographic point kickoff , but its beaches tin dismiss competitor those of the most tropical islands.
I know I’ve got my parents convinced to grade this 1 a larn on their trip to Scotland inwards September! Seeing the puffins upward hence unopen was actually magical , together with I listen that if you lot larn afterward inwards the flavour , at that topographic point are lots of seals roughly too! I’m going to receive got to larn back.
I’m hoping to brand a trip out to ‘Puffin Island’ when I larn to Republic of Iceland , likewise – I’m inwards dearest amongst these petty birds. Have you lot seen puffins? Where did you lot run into them?
