Private Isle of May Puffin Tour from Edinburgh

Get up close to Scotland’s most charming seabirds on our private Isle of May puffin tour from Edinburgh. Your guide will collect you from your hotel and drive you through the pretty fishing villages of the East Neuk of Fife to Anstruther, where you’ll board a boat to the Isle of May, home to one of the largest puffin colonies on the east coast of Britain. With clifftops alive with seabirds and puffins just a few feet away, it’s one of the best puffin tours in Scotland.

Your journey to and from Anstruther is private, just for your group, with plenty of local stories along the way. The boat crossing and your time on the island are shared with other visitors, as the Isle of May is a public National Nature Reserve.

The journey from Edinburgh takes you across the Firth of Forth and along the beautiful Fife coast to the East Neuk, a string of historic fishing villages with red-roofed cottages and colourful harbours. Our destination is Anstruther, a lively harbour village and the departure point for boats to the Isle of May. The drive is a highlight in itself, and your guide will point out the hidden corners most visitors miss.

From Anstruther, we usually travel aboard the May Princess, or by fast RIB where availability allows, across the Firth of Forth to the Isle of May National Nature Reserve. Keep an eye out on the crossing, as grey seals are often seen, and on some days you might even spot dolphins. As the island comes into view, the air fills with seabirds.

Once ashore, you’ll explore the island on foot along marked paths, watching puffins coming and going from their burrows and guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes lining the cliffs. Puffins are usually on the island from around April to early August, and the busiest months are May to July. You don’t need a fancy camera: the puffins are so close that a phone will do the job beautifully.

The island has a fascinating human history too, from the ruins of a medieval priory to the Beacon, Scotland’s oldest surviving lighthouse.

After the boat returns to Anstruther, we’ll usually stop in the village for lunch, depending on boat times, before a scenic drive back to Edinburgh. To finish, your guide will pour you a dram of Scotch whisky to toast the puffins and the day.

Ready to meet the puffins? Boat places are limited and sell out fast, so advance booking is essential. Get in touch to start planning your puffin day.

If you’re looking for a private Isle of May puffin tour from Edinburgh, this is the perfect way to see puffins in Scotland, with a relaxed private transfer, a beautiful coastal drive and a guide who takes care of the details. Boat crossings depend on the weather, and places are limited, so advance booking is essential. Come as a guest, leave as a friend.

This tour departs from Edinburgh, with pick-up from your hotel, Airbnb or any convenient location in the city. It’s an ideal choice if you’re staying in Edinburgh, arriving by train or adding a wildlife day to a longer Scotland itinerary.

As boat times and weather can’t be guaranteed around a ship’s schedule, this tour isn’t available as a shore excursion. If you’re arriving by cruise ship, we have plenty of other private tours from Newhaven, South Queensferry, Rosyth and Leith. See our shore excursions.

When is the best time to see puffins on the Isle of May?
Puffins are usually on the Isle of May from around April to early August, and the busiest months are May to July.

Are boat tickets included?
Boat tickets to the Isle of May are not included in the tour price, but we’ll help you secure them and add them to your final price. Places are limited and sell out fast, so advance booking is essential.

Is the whole tour private?
Your transfers between Edinburgh and Anstruther are private, just for your group. The boat crossing and your time on the island are shared with other visitors, as the Isle of May is a public National Nature Reserve.

Is this tour available as a shore excursion?
No. As boat times and weather can’t be guaranteed around a ship’s schedule, this tour isn’t available as a shore excursion.

From the fishing villages of the East Neuk to the clifftops of the Isle of May and puffins just a few feet away, this is a wildlife day you’ll never forget. Your transfers are private, just for your group of up to 8 guests, and planned entirely around you. Tell us your dates and where you’re staying in Edinburgh, and we’ll take care of the rest.