Springtime means flowers blooming, lambs in the fields, and the return of some of the UK’s cutest seabirds: puffins. Puffins are adorable birds, often likened to clowns because of their distinctive beak and face. They spend the winters out in warmer seas, and return to rear their only chick – called a puffling – on the coast. I am obsessed with puffins, and typically plan at least one puffin-centric trip every year to make the most! With years of experience, this is my guide to the best places for seeing puffins in the UK.

What is a Puffin?

Puffins – the type found in the UK are Atlantic puffins – are relatively easy to spot, thanks to their bright orange beak and feet. They have a black head, black back, white cheeks, and a white underbody. There are approximately 580,000 pairs of breeding puffins in the UK. Puffins mate for life and live between 25 and 30 years!

When is the Best Time to See Puffins in the UK?

The best times to see puffins are between April and July. Most puffins fly away from their colonies around the end of July, so if you wait too long you may miss them. Puffins can sometimes be spotted as early as March, but this isn’t a guarantee – and there might not be many of them. Puffins usually arrive in mid-April. When I plan my puffin trips, I plan to go in May and June for the best chance of seeing the most puffins.

Where to See Puffins in the UK

Skomer Island, Wales

Easily one of the best places to see puffins in the UK is on Skomer Island, off the Pembrokeshire coast in South Wales. Sadly, I still haven’t been here – despite my best efforts last year! Pembrokeshire Island Boat Trips are the only operator that lands on Skomer Island, and tickets (which are released in December) sell out months in advance. If this is a puffin destination you want to experience, plan in advance and book your tickets early! It is well worth it to see the 40,000-some puffins from a close distance on the island.

Isle of Lunga (Treshnish Isles), Scotland

This is probably my favorite puffin experience to date. The Treshnish Isles, particularly the main island of Lunga, are a haven for puffin lovers. There are 6,000 birds here, and the puffin-spotting opportunities on my trip were incredible. I was able to see and photograph so many puffins around their burrows right from the path! I booked my day trip with Staffa Tours, departing from Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. The tour also landed on Staffa, which was amazing, and many people say Staffa is a great place to see puffins. While they do certainly nest on Staffa, in my opinion this is nothing compared to the experience you can have on nearby Lunga.

Read More: Isle of Mull Day Trip: Staffa and Puffin-Watching on Lunga

Isle of May, Scotland

The Isle of May is home to some 250,000 seabirds – including 46,000 pairs of puffins – and a top pick for seeing the cuties in Scotland. Isle of May Boat Trips run boat trips that include a landing on the Isle of May, plus photography trips if you’re wanting to capture some amazing photos. They sail from Anstruther Harbor, on the Fife Coast north of Edinburgh.

Bempton Cliffs, England

This is my “home turf,” so to speak, for puffin spotting in the UK. Yorkshire is blessed with this spectacular stretch of coastline, where approximately 500,000 seabirds gather each year. I love seeing the many gannets here, but my heart will always belong to the puffins. There is a visitor center with a car park, cafe, shop, and toilets – an admission fee is charged unless you’re an RSPB member. However, access to the cliffs themselves is via a public footpath on the coast, and there is no charge to walk along the cliffs if you start walking from a few miles away. I always see puffins in a little section to the north of the visitor center, past the last RSPB sign.

Read More: The Best Places to Visit in East Yorkshire, The Best Places to Visit on the Yorkshire Coast

Farne Islands, England

Located off the coast of Northumberland near Seahouses, the Farne Islands are a top spot for seeing puffins. Billy Shiel’s Boat Trips run trips around the Farne Islands, including a tour that lands on Inner Farne. I was truly in puffin heaven here – there are SO many puffins! The Farne Islands are home to approximately 43,000 pairs of puffins, plus a number of other seabirds like razorbills and guillemots, plus you’ll very likely see gray seals on the trip, too. Note that the Farne Islands are in the care of the National Trust, so trips that land on the islands require an additional ticket to the boat trip (free if you’re a member).

Read More: Puffin Heaven: A Guide to the Farne Islands, Northumberland

Castle o’Burrian, Westray, Orkney, Scotland

The best place to see puffins in Orkney is Castle o’Burrian on the island of Westray. This sea stack is home to so many puffins (called tammie norries in Orcadian) who nest on the rock and along the cliffs. The puffins on the cliffs were very unbothered by us humans, and resulted in one of my favorite “pics with puffins” I’ve ever taken! Contact Andy and Karen at Westraak Tours, who can arrange day tours of the island and/or evening puffin tours. They very kindly took me at short notice (I emailed just one day before) and it was a real highlight of my trip to Orkney!

There are a LOT of great places to see puffins in Orkney. On Westray, be sure to visit Noup Head (the gannets here are also spectacular). Visit the Head of Moclett on Papa Westray, around the Old Man of Hoy on Hoy, and the Brough of Birsay and Marwick Head on the Mainland to for Orkney’s other best puffin spots.

Read More: Where to See Puffins in Orkney, What to See and Do on Westray, Orkney

Sumburgh Head, Shetland, Scotland

My next Scotland puffin trip will undoubtedly be to Shetland – I have to go! Sumburgh Head, at the very southern point of mainland Shetland, is the easiest and most accessible place to see puffins in the archipelago. You can also visit the restored lighthouse buildings and enjoy superb views out to sea. If you’re feeling adventurous, head to Hermaness, on the very northernmost island of Unst, for more puffins.

Handa Island, Scotland

I visited Handa Island last year and had an amazing time – what a place! While the puffin numbers are fairly small in comparison with other spots on this list – about 250 breeding pairs – it’s a super unique place to visit, whether you’re traveling Assynt or exploring the North Coast 500. Handa Ferry transports visitors from Tarbet on a short 10-minute journey to Handa Island, where a ranger from the Scottish Wildlife Trust will give a short welcome talk with all the information you need for your visit. Note you can’t pre-book the ferry, so it’s best to arrive early in the day – and be aware the ferry is CASH ONLY, with no ATM available, so be prepared! There are a number of places to see puffins on the North Coast 500 – Puffin Cove and Duncansby Stacks to name a few – but this is by far the best.

Read More: Handa Island, Scotland: What You Need to Know for Your Visit

Isles of Scilly, England

If you reach the spectacular Isles of Scilly, off the coast of Cornwall, it’s possible to see the roughly 100 breeding pairs of puffins around the isles. Norrad Rocks and Annet are two of the best places to see puffins here. Seaquest Scilly runs puffin trips during the season. Sadly, my visit to the Isles of Scilly was in August, when the puffins had already left for the season – but I definitely hope to be back!

Read More: Isles of Scilly Day Trip: How to Spend 1 Day in Paradise

Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland

For puffin lovers visiting Northern Ireland, you can’t miss a trip to Rathlin Island. This is the largest seabird colony in Northern Ireland – along with the northernmost point of Northern Ireland – and puffins nest here each year. You’ll see the most puffins on the west coast of the island. Rathlin Ferry transports visitors from Ballycastle Harbor to Rathlin Island.

Read More: A 3-Day Itinerary for the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland

Planning Your UK Puffin Trip

Obviously, you’ll want to visit these puffin spots around the UK at the optimal time of year for puffin sightings. Some destinations are easier to access than others – having your own vehicle will make things much easier. It would be a challenge to visit all of these puffin destinations on a single trip, due to the distance involved between locations. But if you had a lot of free time and booked well in advance, you could do it! Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more. Below are a few options for booking puffin tours in the UK!

Puffins are my favorite birds (by far), and my puffin adventures have taken me all over the UK. Time your trip well and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to spot these little cuties in cliffs and burrows all around the country. I hope this post helps planning where to see puffins in the UK!

Have you seen puffins in the UK before? Where was your favorite place?

You might also like my posts:

Where to See Puffins on Orkney

Isle of Mull Day Trip: Staffa and Puffin-Watching on Lunga

Puffin Heaven: A Guide to the Farne Islands, Northumberland

Handa Island, Scotland: What You Need to Know for Your Visit

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