It can be difficult to see Puffins in the wild, especially as they spend most of their lives at sea. But that doesnโt mean itโs impossible! Letโs find out the best place to see puffins in the UK.
Where Do Puffins Live?
First things first, letโs learn where puffins live and like to hang out.
Just like we stated at the start of the article, puffins tend to spend the majority of their lives at sea.
The small amount of time they do spend on land is spent on coastal islands during the spring and summer months to form breeding colonies.
So even though it might seem that puffins are quite elusive, thereโs still plenty of places to spot them in the United Kingdom.
Best Places With The Highest Chances Of Seeing Puffins
So we know where they like to spend their time and the best time of year to spot them.
Now we can tell you exactly where to go!
Even though itโs normally coastal islands where youโll see puffins, a few small mainland colonies do exist.
To find these, youโll need to visit Bempton in Yorkshire (England) or Bullers of Buchan which is north of Aberdeen (Scotland).
As most places are coastal islands, youโll need to plan ahead and book boat passages to reach them. But be prepared to be disappointed if the weather is against you โ almost perfect weather is required to make sea crossings (safety first!).
The easiest puffinries to reach via the sea include:
- Skomer โ reach it from Martinโs Haven (Wales)
- Farne Islands โ found just off Seahouses in Northumberland (England)
- Isle of May โ accessed from Anstruther, Fife (Scotland)
Now weโll go through some of the best places to see puffins throughout the UK.
1. Hermaness and Sumburgh Head, Shetland (Scotland)
Full of sights and sounds, Hermaness is a top spot for sea birds.
Early in the Summer, youโll be able to see Puffins waddling from their clifftop burrows.
2. Fowlsheugh RSPB, Aberdeenshire (Scotland)
The cliffs of Fowlsheugh RSPB are jam packed with sea birds throughout the spring and summer months (more than 130,000 of them breed here).
As well as puffins, you might get the chance to spot dolphins and grey seals here too!
3. Westray and Papa Westray, Orkney (Scotland)
These are two of Orkneyโs Northern Isles and are easy to get to by car (or foot) due to the good sea and air links.
Westray is home to a whole colony of puffins between the months of April and July.
The heavily eroded cliffs at the northern tip of Papa Westray are full of seabirds.
4. Bempton Cliffs RSPB, Yorkshire (England)
Youโll find this stunning nature reserve on the gorgeous Yorkshire coastline.
Between March and October every year, approximately 500,000 (half a million) sea birds gather to raise familys on the chalk cliffs overlooking the North Sea.
April to July is the best time to go and see the puffins on Bempton Cliffs. Watch them arrive back with a beak full of sand eels.
5. Skomer Island, Pembrokshire (Wales)
Skomer Island is just under a mile off the coast of Pembrokshire.
Itโs well known for the puffins that reside there, but itโs classed as a bird paradise due to how many species you can find there.
6. Farne Islands, Northumberland (England)
Part of the National Trust, the Farne Islands are a rocky habitat home to sea birds and more.
Puffins call the islands home, along with seals and over 100,00 other sea birds.
7. South Stack Cliffs RSPB, Anglesey (Wales)
Located on Holy Island in Anglesey, South Stack Cliffs is a nature reserve made up of farmland and heathland.
Itโs a stretch of sea cliffs and they face the islets of South Stack.
During the spring, puffins can be seen breeding on the cliffs.
8. Isle of May and Cragleith Island, Fife (Scotland)
To reach the Isle of May, youโll need to get a ferry. These run from April to September.
To see the puffins, youโll want to visit in the spring (April onwards) as their numbers start increasing.
Cragleith Island is the closest of 4 to North Berwickโs harbour.
The colony of puffins found here used to be one of the largest in Britain (28,000 pairs). In 1999, they became endangered here due to a non-endemic plant tree mallow (this choked the puffinsโ burrows).
9. Rathlin Island, County Antrim (Northern Ireland)
Home to only around 140 people, Rathlin Island is around 6 miles off the coast of Ballycastle.
Puffin season starts in April and ends in July here and youโll be able to see many other sea birds too.
Go And See Some Puffins!
Now weโve given you a list of the best places to see puffins in the UK, get out there and find them!
As well as puffins, youโll be inundated with other species of sea bird and maybe even some seals!
If you do manage to get out and see some, make sure you come back here and let us know.
Also, if you know of any other places be sure to let us know too!
