I did not want to miss out on bird-watching while I was in Scotland, so made sure to take some time off from the shows and hustle-and-bustle of an extremely busy Edinburgh. Last year some of us went to North Berwick for the day and I was amazed and very pleased to discover the delights of a boat trip round Bass Rock to see the thousands of gannets covering the island. We went again last Tuesday and, again, it was a hot and sunny day - just right for a trip to the sea-side.
It is a short train ride from Edinburgh Waverley station to North Berwick and then about 15 minute walk from the station to the harbour. We boarded Sula II for the first trip round Bass Rock at 12.00 noon. The present boat has been running since 1972 and is built from Honduras mahogany. It is unique among the boats sailing from North Berwick. The name "Sula" comes from the Latin, Sula bassanus, now Morus bassanus, which is a species of gannet, of which many thousands inhabit the Bass Rock.
The photograph below shows the rock as we approach it. It is covered with white moving objects, which look just like flowers from the distance.
When the boat got near to the rock, we could see that all the surfaces were covered with truly beautiful gannets and their chicks. The juveniles take several years to reach adult-hood, so some were fluffy and white, some were fluffy and white/grey mix, some were grey and some were white and almost adult.
I think that the adult gannets have beautiful faces and colouring. I love them!
It was just staggering to see so many birds covering any surface on the rock that would hold them.
Obviously, not all the gannets were sitting on the rock. There were thousands flying around the rock and floating in the sea. In the photograph below, I managed to capture a juvenile gannet in flight.
We sailed right round the island and there were gannets everywhere.
It is impossible to describe the feeling of seeing thousands of gannets on the rock, in the sea and flying around in the air above us. It was absolutely amazing! Below is a photograph of the old cannon that is on top of Bass Rock, with birds flying around in all directions. There used to be a prison on the island and I guess the cannon was part of the rock's protection.
We sailed all the way round the Rock and I was fascinated with all the gannets flying above us. I had made sure that I had a windproof jacket with a hood with me, which I had put on. As the Captain said when we set sail, anything that comes from the sky is not snow!
The lighthouse is now unmanned and the ruins on the old prison are below it. Gannets cover the rocks on this side of the island too and many thousands are circling in the sky.
What an amazing experience and one that I will not forget in a hurry. I enjoyed changing the crowds of people in Edinburgh for the crowds of gannets in North Berwick.
After fish and chips sitting outside in the sun and a walk along the beach, we headed back to the station for the journey back to Edinburgh and another Festival show.
The next day, I checked the Sula II's sailing on that Tuesday and discovered that the next trip at 2pm only managed to go halfway round the Rock before they had to turn back as the wind was too strong for them to continue - so we were very lucky to have gone on the noon sailing.
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