Most people who have seen Craigleith will recognise it as the island which can be found offshore
from North Berwick. Most of our seabird species breed here. Cormorants usually nest on the higher
slopes above the east cliffs. Kittiwakes, guillemots and razorbills can be found on the cliffs
all round the island. Shags nest mainly on the west and south-east, and puffins burrow into the
shallow soils where they can. Fulmars and eiders find nest sites mainly round the edges while
gulls tend to occupy the more open areas towards the centre of the island.
Over the years puffin numbers were declining on Craigleith and Fidra because of the spread of
tree mallow (lavatera arborea).
In 2006 the Scottish Seabird Centre began the SOS Puffin project to try and control this invasive
species. Now that puffins have easier access to the island their breeding numbers would seem to
be increasing. Follow the links on the
Links
page for more information on tree mallow.
