11/06/2026
More info about Bass Rock and Craigleith Island. Good news!
Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth, home to the world's largest colony of northern gannets, has been acquired by RSPB Scotland after 320 years in the hands of the Hamilton-Dalrymple family, who purchased it in 1706.
The 106-metre volcanic rock, situated three miles off the coast of North Berwick, is home to around 100,000 gannets and has been a Site of Special Scientific Interest for almost 75 years, its distinctive white appearance the result of guano coating the surface rather than the dark grey and brown rock beneath.
The transfer, supported by a £586,000 grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, also includes neighbouring Craigleith Island, home to around 10,000 puffins, and comes at a critical time with more than 70 percent of Scotland's seabird species in decline due to climate change, food scarcity, invasive species and disease.
The gannet colony was devastated by bird flu in 2022 and 2023, with the most recent survey finding numbers had recovered to only around two thirds of their pre-outbreak peak of 150,000, and RSPB Scotland says the change of ownership will allow conservation measures to be introduced at a scale not previously possible.
RSPB Scotland will work with the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick to deliver a conservation plan for both islands, including research, population monitoring and a new visitor attraction featuring live 360-degree cameras allowing people to experience the gannet and puffin colonies up close.
