Isle of May

5^th May

It only seems fitting that we visit this island, this month. The cold weather has made the nesting season later in this area, but we are still hoping to see puffins among other sea birds. We had contemplated taking hard hats after the sheer violence of the terns nesting on the Farne Islands. We forgot hats as it was so hot and sunny.

We’d stayed the night on the Pittenweem border in a B and B from an earlier era. We were served by 2 young waitresses dressed in black who were ultra- polite and everything was done rather ceremoniously- which meant it was a protracted 3 course dinner (though very nice) and we worried a little about arriving on time for the ferry in the morning. We had to be there 20 minutes early by the web site, 30 minutes and then 40 minutes early as the booking progressed. The boat left on the dot of 8.45am. Breakfast normally served at 8 as a concession was served 7.45. We’d ordered our choice the night before and decided that we would have a full breakfast in case we couldn’t get anything for lunch. The ferry times change with the tides and this is the earliest that they leave.

The boat leaves from the harbour in Anstruther and there is a long stay car park there which only cost £1.20 for over 4 hours. Bob dealt with the parking ticket while I went to the hut for the boat company where they had piles of paperwork for all the 100 people on the boat today- most will have booked on line like us. I took our papers and then gabbled on about not having any sunblock. One of the crew said he’d give me some on the boat which would start loading in 15 minutes. I thought I might have time to run back to a baker’s we’d spotted on the way to the harbour, so I left Bob to queue.

It was only quarter past 8 and the shop looked dark inside, but the door opened when I turned the handle and there was a shop assistant ready to help. Armed with a pasty and sandwich I hurtled back down the road. Most passengers had already boarded and Bob was looking anxious. The boat, The May Princess was full to its capacity. We thought it was rather small for so many people.

We sat at the front of the lower deck fairly near the toilet which was chained off until we sailed, as it emptied directly into the sea. I decided there was no way I was going to use it and hopefully not many do. I wonder if this is the norm for all boats. I was kindly given sun cream from the crew’s first aid kit. We came prepared for cold with warm layers but despite a bit of a breeze it was glorious.

The sea was as calm as it could be, flat and glistening with sunshine, which shone on us through the open door. On the dot of 8.45( we’d been on the boat sometime) we left the harbour and there were superb views of Bass Rock and the Law at Berwick. As we neared the Isle of May there were ever increasing numbers of birds- guillimots and puffins. The boat took us close to the rock faces on May, one at least 50 metres high where there were crevices crammed with kittiwakes, fulmars, gulls, guillimots…..and on the tops puffins were poised ready to take off. What a noise!

We came in through a rocky channel and the boat moored. All around the rocks were spattered in yellow like someone had gone mad with paint. This turned out to be lichen. We were met by one of the island’s managers. She didn’t keep us long but told us a few dos and don’ts (part is off limits as it is a reserve kept as a control to judge the impact tourists are having on the main island) and what to lookout for in the way of wildlife.

With almost 3 hours to go we walked towards the reserve, Rona, which is joined by a bridge making a natural barrier. Everyone went in different directions which gave us a feeling of isolation despite our numbers. We walked along Holyman’s Road past the whitewashed Low light, first used in 1844 and secondary to the Main light built by Robert Stevenson but when aligned together they indicated the position of dangerous North Carr Rock. When the rock had its own light, the Low light was turned off. It looks well kept nonetheless and is used as a bunkhouse for birdwatchers.

Next we came to Burnetts Leap and down on the rocks were sea scoured white planks and at other locations, like where the seals haul out, is evidence of the same cargo tossed onto the craggy shore. In places around the island we saw some made into organised heaps, perhaps with a useful end in mind.

We noticed lines of rusty iron pipes, of large diameter, connected over-ground and thought they might carry water. We learnt later they transported compressed air to the fog horns, one on the south side and one on the north. They didn’t blast together and they sounded out for different lengths so that mariners knew which horn was which in the fog. In 1989 they were deemed unnecessary and the horns were permanently silent.

At Alterstanes we walked down the steps as far as we could go for the alternative landing place. The iron railings at the top seemed very rickety. I’m glad we didn’t need to use this today.

We walked back by way of the High Road and up to Bishops Cove for a fabulous view passing a female eider duck looking a little lost as she waddled by- maybe hunting for a nesting site. They have to be the most placid of bird species, often laying eggs right beside footpaths.

 Retracing our steps, we came back to the High Road and made our way to the gothic looking main light house. Meant to resemble a castle it looks more like a church but Robert, grandson of Robert Louis Stevenson, can be forgiven for its folly-like exterior as he had just completed a lighthouse on Bell Rock – a feat of engineering! Older than the Low light it was built in 1816 and is a listed building now. There’s a good view from the top and a white light now flashes every 15 seconds with a range of 22 nautical miles. Friday night we had walked towards Pittenweem from the B and B, watching the sunset across the sea. The light, 5 miles out, winked at us, brightly.

Opposite is the Beacon, now 2 thirds of its original size so that it doesn’t obstruct the lighthouse beam. This 17^th century building ( Scotland’s first manned) had an open fire basket on top that was fed by coal- 4oo tons a year and required 3 men to look after it.

A walled garden now untended except for the net traps for bird counts on the island and bath house with 2 ceramic sinks and a bath are near the lighthouse. A fairly steep walk down Palpitation Brae, edged with sea campion, led to a freshwater Loch though it looked man made and didn’t look at all fresh but distinctly green. This was used in the cooling system for the compressed air for the fog horns. There was some rusty cable that was used in the detection of submarines probably during the War and some rather boring farm type buildings.

We walked the South Plateau and looking out to sea the birds appeared like insects massing over a pond. There are cameras at Pilgrims Haven and the warden had warned us that this footage is viewed live at North Berwick- in case anyone wanted to skinny dip! The CCTV stars are a pair of shags who have been given names

Looking down at Maiden Rocks I saw a ramshackle nest of large twigs and a seemingly huge white egg. I was told by a lady with a party from a RIB moored next to our boat that it belongs to a shag and they commonly lay 3. That was the only actual nest we saw today- the weather had made for a late breeding season.

The last place we visited was the ruined 12^th century priory and other scattered remains. The artic terns arrived after our visit on the 8th May and this site with its stone walls provides good nesting shelter. Nine priests lived here in the Priory’s day and prayed for the souls of the kings of Scotland. There is enough left to lend itself to the imagination, but we were hungry and soon bagged ourselves a picnic table on the surrounding grass to eat our pasty and sandwich. From here we could see the ferry where us passengers had been invited to return to whenever they liked. There was a little snack bar selling drinks, crisps and chocolate bars which was open. There is nothing to buy on May though there are toilets and a visitor centre that would provide some sort of shelter in rain.

After a body count, the boat took a route around the other side of the island to where the seals haul out. There were a few and we learnt that seals lay on rocks, with their tails in the air, to keep warm. Blubber keeps them warm in the water, but their flippers and tails have none, so they feel the sea’s cold at these places.

We retraced back the way we came, after viewing the seals and more planks of wood strewn around the rocks, through the busy bird highway. It took about an hour to reach the harbour and we had just sailed in the harbour entrance when the boat suddenly stopped. We looked over the side and the bottom of the sea looked remarkably close to the surface, the water clear. The water wasn’t clear for long as the propeller started churning up mud and sand- the water wasn’t deep enough for the boat. We sat at this point for some minutes waiting for the tide to come in some more. Eventually we crept in further where sailing ships were moored and the skippers and crew looked on, some horrified, at the noise the boat made as it scraped the sea’s bottom with the propeller. It took several sticky moments for the crew to get the boat close enough to moor it and then we were so far down the pier wall we wondered how we’d all get off. They fixed the ramp at a steep angle and we all virtually pulled ourselves up by the hand rail, using the struts on the ramp to climb. Some elderly people needed assistance. We didn’t worry too much as we had noticed our “pilot” was one of the lifeboat- crew!!

It was a lovely day though and we enjoyed it a lot. Many people flocked to the tea rooms and chippies for an extremely late lunch. We headed off for Ayr where we would stay hoping the boat we’d booked for Ailsa Craig would be running from Girvan.