The Wildlife

- A Wild Day Out
- Top 10 Wildlife

From January onwards 150,000 Atlantic gannets return to the Bass Rock, the world's largest single rock gannet colony, described by Sir David Attenborough as "one of the wildlife wonders of the world". Returning to the same mate and the same nest every year, they spend most of the year on the Bass, until the end of October, when the last chicks set out on their long journey down to the West Coast of Africa, with the adults returning again in January.

The Firth of Forth is home to spectacular seabird cities with over 300,000 seabirds, puffins, guillemots, shags, kittiwakes returning to this haven for wildlife in early spring to nest each year. See thousands of puffins from end March/early April, spring cleaning their burrows for the arrival of their new chicks, on the Isle of May and the islands of Craigleith and Fidra.

Don't miss the amazing spectacle of grey seals with their fluffy white newborn pups on the Isle of May National Nature Reserve from October to December, one of the largest grey seal colonies on the east coast of Great Britain.

There have been a large number of sightings of cetaceans, including bottlenose dolphins, Risso's dolphins, porpoises and whales including minke, pilot, fin, humpback and killer whales - you may be lucky enough to see one!

Watch the incredible footage of gannets diving, the UK's No 1 Wildlife Spectacle in BBC's 'Nature's Top 40 programme and check out our Wildlife Podcasts on U-Tube.

A Wild Day Out

Lying just south of Scotland’s attractive capital city Edinburgh, the coast and countryside of East Lothian boasts a stunning natural environment of outstanding beauty and great diversity of wildlife.

• A beautiful coastline rich in wildlife, including the Bass Rock “one of the twelve wildlife wonders of the world” (Sir David Attenborough).
• Wonderful spectacles in spring and summer when colonies of seabirds arrive in their thousands to nest on the islands, autumn when the awesome spectacle of the migrating birds can be seen flying into the North Berwick area, an international airport for birds. Winter when the grey seals arrive to pup on the Isle of May
• Accessible nature reserves and sites of special interest, for example John Muir Country Park and the national nature reserve at St Abbs.
• The birthplace of John Muir, world famous American conservationist.
• Dramatic open landscapes, sweeping shorelines, moorlands and panoramic vistas.
• East Lothian has an excellent range of accommodation, places to visit and eat and drink and all so close to the cosmopolitan centre of the captial city Edinburgh. Visit East Lothian for more information.

Top 10 Wildlife you can see in the area

• Gannets
• Puffins
• Guillemots
• Razorbills
• Kittiwakes
• Eider Duck
• Peregrine Falcon
• Grey Seals
• Bottlenose Dolphins
• Whales