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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 5pm Sunday 9am - 5pm

The Osprey

Name: The Osprey
Address: Middle Pier, Anstruther, GB
Telephone: +447429454055
Price range: ££

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Isle of May Boat Trips - offers wildlife boat tours and fishing trips from Anstruther Harbour Osprey is a big 10mtr Humber Rib.

Osprey is officially licensed both by the Marine Coastal Authority (MCA) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to land 12 passengers on the Isle of May. Osprey carries a full complement of safety equipment including lifejackets, waterproofs etc. Osprey offers two types of trips to the Isle of May;
1. Isle of May trip which includes time on the island typically 2 to 3 hours (time on isle of May is determined by the tides and the weather).

2. A shorter 2hr trip sailing round the isle of May to view the wildlife, Puffins, seals and the stunning cliffs and coastal views from the boat. The Osprey is ideally suited to charter for families, hen, stag, walking group’s etc. Having the boat all to your own private party makes the trip really special, phone for a price.

27/10/2026

Stormy season by David Steel - NatureScot blog repost

Tuesday 27th October comments: It comes with the territory. At this time of year the weather can be very interchangeable and turbulent at times and we have learnt to live and work around it. Any best laid plans can change in an instant.

At the weekend we did have warning as Storm Austen wreaked havoc bringing some wild conditions as extra strong winds hammered the Isle of May. However it was thankfully short-lived but today our second in as many days is hitting as Storm Boelo is lashing the island. Wildlife copes with such conditions especially if the storms are short-lived but will struggle, especially the resident Shags if the weather persists like it did in October 2023.

We’re glad to report all the early Grey Seal pups are doing well, as they are safely tucked up the island away from harms way. Slowly and surely the bird migration season is coming to an end and then it’ll be time for us to leave. Still a few more weeks yet so plenty more news to come before we lock up and say goodbye.

24/10/2026

On fire! By David Steel - NatureScot blog repost

Saturday 24th October comments: The Isle of May has had some week. Since the wind switched to the east on Tuesday, the island has had a plethora of migrant birds including Hume’s Warbler, Dusky Warbler, Bluethroat, Great Grey Shrike, Hawfinch, several Ring Ouzels, good numbers of Woodcocks, thrushes galore, two Water Rails (to name but a few and I could go on!)

However one of the real stars of the show has been the mighty Firecrest. There has been an arrival on the east coast of this stunning wee birds and the island has supported no fewer than four. From these, two have been caught and ringed in the islands Heligoland traps. Firecrest’s breed in southern England and are common on the mainland continent but up here is Scotland, are scarce migrants especially on the island.

However things are changing. A lot of our migrant birds have departed and the wind has switched to the south-west and did someone mention storms? Best batten down the hatches…

23/10/2026

Hume-dinger by David Steel- NatureScot blog repost

Thursday 22nd October comments: When the Isle of May does migration, it DOES migration. Yesterday was another excellent day on the island with lots of Redwings, Song Thrush, Blackbirds, Chiffchaffs and Goldcrest scattered across the island. The Great Grey Shrike was present for its third day whilst an impressive FOUR Firecrests were discovered (more on that tomorrow).
However the day belonged to two species; first a Dusky Warbler was discovered at the main lighthouse at lunchtime. This rare eastern Siberian migrant has only been seen on four previous occasions on the island and this bird showed well as it was calling in the bushes before disappearing into dense vegetation. We thought that was going to be the ‘bird of the day’ but even that was eclipsed late on.

On Rona, in the north of the island a very subtle Hume’s Warbler was discovered in a gully with two Chiffchaffs. Humes Warblers are exceptionally rare vagrants from Central Asia and Scotland has had approximately 45 in total but there has only ever been one on the Isle of May back in 1994 (so we’ve waited a while). The species has only been recently split from it’s commoner cousin the Yellow-browed Warbler and the identification is not easy. It is a small dark billed bird, has a limited upper wing bar, a limited dark secondary bar, greyish toned head and breast and dark legs amongst many other small, subtle features (it took time to sort all these out!) However the right conclusion was reached and we were celebrating the second ever Humes Warbler for the Isle of May!

You can never take your eyes off the Isle of May… more tomorrow.

22/10/2026

Crest is on fire! By David Steel - NatureScot blog repost

Tuesday 20th October comments: Another day and another scattering of interesting birds on the Isle of May. the east wind (well south-easterly if you want to be exact) delivered more good migrant birds and another heap of thrushes, mainland redwings heading towards the mainland.

The highlight today was a stunning Firecrest (a relative of the comer Goldcrest), a rare bird in these parts and it brightened up the gloomy day with its flashes of white and orange. The sprite remained active in the base of the gully’s as these areas area offer shelter from the brutal wind and attract important food supplies such as fly’s! Other noticeable birds included the Great Grey Shrike for its second day whilst a Hawfinch was seen flying over the main lighthouse. With more Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Goldcrest the island certainly felt alive. Other birds included over 30 Woodcock arriving (their first noticeable arrival) whilst Jack Snipe was from further east.

The winds are due to ease and switch again but don’t be too surprised if the Isle of may has one final sting in the tail. It’s never dull…

18/10/2026

Stripy visitor still present! By David Steel- NatureScot blog repost

Friday 2nd October comments: We just thought we would bring you an update on our rare visitor, which is still here! This morning (like most days) we have seen our White-throated Sparrow in the elders near the lighthouse and yesterday it was caught by the bird ringers of the Isle of May Bird Observatory Trust.

The bird was originally found on 5th August and since then over 150 people have visited to exclusively see this rare visitor. White-throated Sparrows are abundant throughout northern North America and eastern Canada whilst it winters in east and southern USA and Mexico. In Britain, the majority of records have occurred from April to June and between October and December but they remain a very rare visitor and this is only the 26th ever to be recorded in Scotland.

Yesterday the bird was caught, having been originally ringed on 30th August and the good news is that it has been putting on weight (which is not surprising as it has been seen gorging on elderberries and caterpillars). The bird was in body moult when first found and this was confirmed in late August when previously caught. However on examination yesterday, the bird had completed its moult and was looking fully feathered and in good condition (as you can see from the open wing photo)

What will happen to this individual is anyone’s guess as it seems very settled and with very few predators and plenty of food for the bird how long will it stay – next year anyone?

17/10/2026

Thank you Isabel & Lizzie! By David Steel- NatureScot blog repost

Saturday 17th October comments: It’s that time of year when we start winding down and closing up the Isle of May and yesterday we closed the chapter on this years volunteers as they waved goodbye to the island.

Isabel and Lizzie have been an integral part of the island this year as Lizzie arrived in early April and Isabel in early May. Both have volunteered all summer and given the island everything from monitoring seabirds and constructing new boardwalks to dealing with thousands of visitors and ringing lots of seabirds. The team have worked long hours, ensuring the day-to-day running of the reserve and making the season a huge success. Both Lizzie and Isabel even featured in the recent ‘Scotland’s Golden Coast’ on More4 (which is still available on catch-up TV).

We can not thank them enough for everything they have done and we wish them well for the future. THANK YOU! Enjoy the winters break and hopefully we’ll see you again back on the fantastic Isle of May next year as visitors! To anyone who is interested in joining us next season we’ll be opening our volunteering applications in February 2027 so stay tuned for further information.

12/10/2026

A song for you! By David Steel- NatureScot blog repost

Wednesday 30th September comments: The last day of the month has gone out with a bang. Yesterday the winds switched to the east and with it, plenty of migrating birds. Today the weather continued from the same direction and once again, we had birds galore. The star of the show, the Red-flanked Bluetail was still present around the back of the accommodation block although the resident Robins were keeping it on its toes. At least three Yellow-browed Warblers were still present whilst a stunning female-type Hen Harrier drifted over. The island was full of life, with good numbers of Chaffinch, Brambling, Redstarts and Chiffchaffs. However it was the numbers of Song Thrush which really caught the attention.

Throughout the day wave after wave of Song Thrush were observed flying over the island, some dropping down for a quick stop whilst many others kept on going west towards the mainland. A thirty-minute count near the lighthouse revealed 588 west indicating the scale of the movement. Approx 3,000 Song thrush moved through the Isle of May today (let that sink in).
Whilst many U.K. Song Thrushes are year-round residents, the local population is significantly boosted in the autumn and winter by visitors from countries like Scandinavia, the Low Countries (Belgium and the Netherlands) and other parts of northern Europe. Conversely, about half of adult Song Thrushes and two-thirds of juveniles that breed in Britain will migrate away in the autumn. Many from northern Britain move to Ireland, while others travel further south to France, Portugal, and Spain, or even as far as North Africa during harsh conditions.

So who knew! The Isle of May is never dull and migration on this scale can be very epic and suspect we will have plenty more to tell you before the end of the season. Stay tuned.

08/10/2026

Did you watch? By David Steel- NatureScot blog repost

Thursday 8th October comments: So did you watch? Last night the Isle of May and the NatureScot team were featured on the More4 production Scotland’s Golden Coast at 21:00. The episode followed the team of David, Thomas, Lizzie and Isabel during the summer showing the various work which happens behind the scenes.

The program was a nice introduction to the island and why it makes a great place to visit (so get planning for next year!) as it featured it all with some great shots of the island itself. If you missed it, don’t worry you can catch-up on the link below:
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/scotlands-golden-coast/on-demand/79247-003

So now the dust has settled, we can get on with our work as still plenty more to do!

06/10/2026

Back in the game! By David Steel - NatureScot blog repost

Tuesday 29th September comments: We’re back in the game. Today (for the first time in a while) easterly winds blew across the North Sea and that only means one thing at this time of year – arrivals!

As light was breaking this morning across the Isle the sound of the autumns first Redwings could be heard as they battled their way over. These thrushes breed in Scandinavia but at this time of year leave the far north to escape the harsh winters to come to the U.K. to overwinter. Today marked the arrival of the first birds and there will be many more to follow.

Other birds of note included 50 Brambling (another species escaping the far north) whilst plenty of other common birds were scattered across the island. As expected, there were bonus birds as four Yellow-browed Warblers arrived alongside a Little Bunting – both species are from Siberia and were very welcome arrivals! The White-throated Sparrow is still here (yes it’s been here since 5th August), but the bird of the day involved a stunning Red-flanked Bluetail found behind Fluke Street at the birdtable (behind my house!) These smart chats are slowly increasing in number as this involved our 6th ever but five of these have occurred since 2019. Tomorrow looks potentially another good day, but we’ll have to wait and see…

05/10/2026

Thank you by David Steel- NatureScot blog repost

Thursday 1st October comments: It was mixed emotions today as we welcomed a new month but the end of our visitor season. The Isle of May has now officially closed its doors today to the public as we have said goodbye to the 2026 visitor season.

This year we’ve welcomed a record number of visitors as we broke the record for the all time number visiting (just topped over 17,000 people) and we thank everyone for supporting the Isle of May this season. Without your visits and support we couldn’t achieve the great work we do on here and we thank everyone for that (so keep on visiting!) We also thank the wonderful boat companies and crew who are part of the wider Isle of May team for their great work and friendship. Without them we could not achieve what we achieve. So thanks to the teams who serve the island including May Princess team of Alex, Stef, Rabbie, Billy and Scott, the Osprey team of Rab, Ellie, Erin and Susan, the Seabird team of Robyn, Steve, Pete Bob, Nick and all the guides and the Bluewild team of Alan, Pauline and Bill.

So it proved to be a great year and we hope next season is just as exciting and successful. The next six months will fly over and we’ll be opening our doors again in the spring of 2027. Until then we are still living and working on here until mid-November so plenty more stories to tell (so stay tuned) as we turn our attention to the Seals…the seal season is about to begin… there are plenty more stories from the island to come.

Address

Middle Pier
Anstruther

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm
Sunday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+447429454055

Website

http://www.isleofmayboattrips.co.uk/

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