Bass Rock

The Bass is a plug of volcanic rock rising 107 metres out of the Firth of Forth, about two kilometres offshore from North Berwick, and in summer it turns visibly white from the mainland: over 150,000 northern gannets nested on it, the largest colony of the species anywhere until the 2022 bird flu, so dense that the ground disappears. The scientific name of the gannet, Morus bassanus, comes from this rock. The island also holds a ruined chapel, a castle used as a prison in the seventeenth century, and a lighthouse of 1902 designed by David Stevenson and built partly from stone of the old fortifications. Boats run round the rock from North Berwick, and the Scottish Seabird Centre on the harbour has remote cameras that can be swivelled and zoomed by visitors. Bird flu killed large numbers in 2022 - on one day more than 5,000 dead birds were counted - and the colony has not returned to its earlier size.

Highlights

• The white rock - over a hundred thousand gannets covering the surface.
• The volcanic plug - 107 metres of rock rising sheer from the Forth.
• The lighthouse and ruins - a 1902 light built into old fortifications.
• The remote cameras - live views from the Seabird Centre on the mainland.

When to go

April to September, with the colony fullest from May to July; birds leave through autumn and the rock is bare and grey in winter. Boats cancel in swell, which is frequent.

Good to know

Landings are rare and by special arrangement; most trips circle the rock without setting foot on it. The smell is powerful even from the boat. Bird flu reduced numbers sharply in 2022 and current colony size should not be assumed from older figures.

Nearby

North Berwick and Tantallon Castle are on the shore; Edinburgh is forty minutes west.

Key facts