After several years of bad news on seabird populations on the west coast of Scotland, Dr Richard Luxmoore, Senior Nature Conservation Adviser for the National Trust has reported that several species have had their best season in 10 years.
The National Trust for Scotland’s studies on their property at Mingulay, showed that there were 1642 pairs of Kittiwakes trying to nest, up 46 per cent since last year. More importantly, their breeding success, at 88 chicks produced per 100 pairs, was much better than 2013. Other species, such as Razorbills, Common Guillemots and European Shags also recorded substantial improvements in both numbers and breeding success.
Studies carried out by the Highland Ringing Group on Canna, in the Small Isles, showed that Kittiwakes were up 14% since last year and also had excellent breeding success, similar to its near neighbour Mingulay across the Minch. Guillemots and Razorbills also experienced better breeding success and higher numbers than in recent years. More excitingly, researchers located five occupied nest burrows of Manx Shearwaters at three locations around the island. Shearwaters had been reduced to local extinction on Canna but a successful rat eradication project, completed in 2006, has allowed them to recolonise several of their former nest sites.
On St Kilda, annual monitoring has shown that Puffins have had much greater breeding success than in recent years. Also a ground-breaking programme to study the elusive and little known Leach’s Storm-petrel has been able to take detailed measurements of three chicks that have been reared in artificial nest burrows this year.
Conservationists hope this rise in populations will not be just a blip in a long-term decline of our seabirds and provides a boost to colony sizes for several years to come.
Scotland is internationally important for its seabirds, having some 45 per cent of the breeding population in the whole of the European Union. The National Trust for Scotland hosts almost a fifth of these at is properties of St Kilda, Mingulay, Fair Isle, Canna, St Abbs, Iona, Staffa and Unst.
Just returned from another magical trip with Hebrides Cruises. We left Oban on a sunny, breezy afternoon out past Lismore where the Islands and Lochs beckon. We were blessed with wonderful weather with silvery light changing to brilliant sunshine and flat seas. We visited the beautiful little islands Eigg and Rona on our way up the inside of Skye where we had great hikes and beautiful anchorages. Dolphins. Sea eagles, porpoises and seals seen along the way. Rona was special with our amazing guide, Indy, it was a day of ‘firsts’ ! Indy has spectacular sight and hearing and vast knowledge. He introduced us to a rare pink grasshopper and an extraordinary gathering of solitary bees. On every hike and at sea he provided us with gems of information on flora and fauna, birds and marine life and his enthusiasm was palpable. A magical afternoon and morning on the Shiants, hiking to the bothy and cliffs, drifting around the islands and sea arch in the tender and swimming. Then off to look for Fin whales. We spent an hour watching minke whales feeding , there was a rare sighting of North Atlantic white beaked dolphins and lots more on our way back to Mull via spectacular Loch Scavaig and the isle of Canna., again with great hikes and swimming. Spectacular scenery in a sunny cloudless sky. The delicious food was provided by our super chef Calum, Poppy looked after our every need on board with a smile and infectious laughter, Oliver, our bosun, made sure that the very comfortable Lucy Mary was always clean and shining and helped us in all sorts of ways. As always , our brilliant skipper, James, brought us so calmly to such beautiful places and both he and Indy added so much to our enjoyment with their daily briefings and obvious delight and enthusiasm for the sea, all marine life and the environment. We had a lot of fun! A big thank you to all and of course to Emma who so efficiently runs everything from ashore. Looking forward to my next trip
Geraldine Hickey: 9 August 2025Skye, the Small Isles and the Shiants