Puffins: Five of the best places in the UK to see stunning seabird colonies this summer

Puffin season is in full swing, with the colourful and charismatic seabirds currently raising their adorable baby pufflings across Britain’s coastal cliffs and offshore islands.

Breeding season, which runs from April until July, is most people’s best chance to see the UK’s puffin colonies in all their glory. The Atlantic puffin is considered ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), although in the UK the species is on the conservation red list, with the species facing a number of threats.

Birds have been arriving on British shores since mid-April, and many will already have laid their singular egg of the season. Conservationists say this season will be a good one, with the charming seabirds expected to get an extra boost from the government ending commercial sandeel fishing in the North Sea - a vital food source for puffins and many other species.

Whether you’re after a daytrip or a more substantial journey, there are plenty of places across the UK where you can get up close and personal with puffins at the moment. Here are some of the best places across the British Isles to visit a puffin colony:

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire

Cared for by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), this famously chalky-cliffed nature reserve is a rare example of a large mainland puffin colony. Situated on the spectacular East Yorkshire coastline, around half a million seabirds gather there between March and August to raise a family, on towering cliffs overlooking the North Sea.

April to July is peak seabird season, the RSPB says, when the cliffs will transform into a ‘seabird city’, bustling with puffins, kittiwakes, gannets and more. The easiest way to get there is by car (it’s just a 30 minute drive from Scarborough and around 10 minutes from Bridlington, well marked with brown signs), but the closest train station is in Bempton on the Hull/Scarborough line - about 1.5 miles away.

There’s an £8 charge to get into the reserve, however there is free entry and concessionary tickets available to many different age groups. You can find out more about this here.

Farne Islands, Northumberland

Closed off from the world for two years to protect its seabirds during the 2022 bird flu outbreak, boats are finally able to return to the Farne Islands this year - carrying with them boatloads of excited birdwatchers.

These islands are a National Trust nature reserve, hosting around 200,000 seabirds, including the charismatic puffin, along with terns and kittiwakes. The Trust reopened Inner Farne to visitors in March, and it is currently the only island in the chain where you can come onshore - part of a limited trial to make sure the birds remain safe and healthy. As well as its fascinating wildlife, visitors can also explore cultural history on the island, which has links with early Christianity. You can access the inside of the beautiful St Cuthbert’s Chapel, and check out exterior views of the Inner Farne lighthouse and Pele Tower.  

You can plan your own visit to Inner Farne by checking out the Trust's website here for more information, which includes links to boat companies you can contact directly to book a trip.

St Kilda, Scotland

While many Scottish islands, from Orkney to Shetland, are home to puffin colonies, this slightly more remote spot is a bit special. Situated 64km northwest of North Uist, the now uninhabited (except by conservationists and researchers) St Kilda archipelago is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It is home to an incredible one million seabirds over the summer months, particularly on the archipelago’s main island, Hirta, which boasts the UK’s tallest sea cliffs - towering some 400 metres above the frigid Atlantic. Among them are plenty of puffins. In fact, the St Kilda colony is considered the biggest in the UK.

The entire archipelago is owned by the National Trust for Scotland. If you’d like to visit, you’ll need to get there by boat. Luckily there are a number of companies offering this service to suit every budget, with some sailing in and out up to six times per week. A quick Google search will set you on the right path to find one that works for you.

Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast, home to one of the world’s most magnificent geological structures, the famed Giant’s Causeway, certainly has no shortage of natural wonders. But just offshore, Rathlin Island is also pretty amazing.

Puffins have been pulling in to the spectacular seabird hub since early March, and nature-loving visitors planning a Northern Ireland trip soon are encouraged it include it on their itineraries. The Marine Hotel in Ballycastle has opened its doors as a base for guests wanting to experience the area’s beautiful landscapes and observe puffins in their natural habitat, with Kintra Boat Tours - offering wildlife-oriented tours of Rathlin - just a two-minute walk away.

Skomer Island, Wales

Skomer Island, less than a mile off the coast of Pembrokeshire, is a haven for wildlife lovers - as can probably be expected from any Wildlife Trusts-managed site.

As well as some 42 thousand puffins from April to late July (the largest colony in southern Britain), it’s also home to guillemots, razorbills, fulmars, and nearly 350,000 breeding pairs of Manx shearwaters. This one’s not just for the birds either, with its protected waters home to harbour porpoises, dolphins, and seals, while the island itself is also home to the unique (and adorable) Skomer vole.

Skomer Island makes a perfect daytrip. Pembrokeshire Islands Boat Trips are the only operator who land there, and your ticket fee covers both passage and entry to the reserve. They have multiple return trips a day, which give you a good couple of hours to explore.