Lunga

Lunga in the Treshnish Isles just has to be the best place in the UK to see seabirds, especially auks. The views are truly amazing with birds such as puffins, razorbills and shags just metres away. The inquisitive puffins will even walk right up to you to see what you are doing.  

Most visitors to the island come from Mull, but we came from Tiree and I'm  glad that we did because there were just 12 people in our boat and and only six disembarked at Lunga, the rest continuing on to Staffa. When we arrived it seemed that we were the only people of the island yet by the time we left a couple of hours later the boats had arrived from Mull and there must have been 50 or more walking along the cliffs. Still hardly a crowd but it was better when we were alone. It's nice to get photos of the birds and cliffs without people on.

It's not only puffins, the razorbills are also tame here. Approachable would be the wrong word I think, that implies that we were trying to get as close as possible. In fact the birds just sit on the rocks at the side of the footpath and barely pay any attention as you walk past, sometimes within a metre or less.

The guillemot colony is at the north end of the island, hardly more than half a mile walk, yet many visitors don't even get that far so mesmerised by the puffins are they.

Most guillemot colonies contain the bridled form and the further north you go, the more frequent they become.

Shags are never pleased to see you.

This puffin pecked my leg while I was photographing others.

Auk city.