Anstruther Pleasure Cruises

25/09/2024

Snapshots from a September sail! ⛴️ 📸 🌊 Imagine wild seals and solitude on a car-free island, 5 miles into the North Sea. Last chance to make it real in 2024! Drop anchor on Isle of May before it closes to visitors at the end of the month! Here’s what to expect…

🎟️ After pre-booking with our simple online system, get your boarding pass from our little hut on Anstruther Harbour. It’s right next to our boat, The May Princess.

⛴️ You’ll be met by our local, knowledgable, friendly captain and crew. During our short voyage, our captain will share a few stories from the wheelhouse. You’ll learn about the island’s conservation, wildlife, history, and even a local good luck charm. ✨

🚶When we arrive on the Isle of May, you’ll have plenty time to wander its well-marked trails and discover a few treasures for yourself...

🦭 The Isle of May is the second largest east coast breeding colony of grey seals in Scotland and the fifth largest breeding colony in the UK - and now is the best time to see them!

💡 Did you know the island is home to The Beacon, the oldest lighthouse in Scotland? You’ll also get inside the magnificent Stevenson Lighthouse and discover the ruins of an ancient place of worship dating back to the 6th century.

🌊 During the voyage, we’ll also aim to circle around the island, giving you a chance to sail close to the Isle of May’s impressive, 45 meter high cliffs, sea stacks, and smuggler caves!

🐋 Keep a close eye on the water for a passing whale or dolphin…this is the season for seeing whales!

📸 And remember your camera...

⛴️ Don’t miss the boat! Book your passage at anstrutherpleasurecruises.com.

08/09/2024

The grey seals are gathering! 🦭 In the coming weeks, Isle of May will become a maternity home (then a nursery) as mothers give birth to their wee pups! Over 2,500 pups are born annually on the island.

The first seal pup last year was reported on the 25th September, born on the edge of Kirkhaven Harbour, where many seals haul out or bathe in the shallows. We’re taking bookings until 30th September, there’s every chance you’ll see one as we sail May Princess gently into the jetty.

⛴ Book your ticket at anstrutherpleasurecruises.co.uk and meet the crew of May Princess on Anstruther harbour.

02/09/2024

29/08/2024

📖 SAVE THE DATE 7-8th SEPT - OPEN DOORS WEEKEND on Isle of May

💡 Set sail for this magnificent nature reserve and discover historic buildings including Scotland’s oldest lighthouse, The Beacon, the iconic Stevenson Lighthouse and the Low Light, now Scotland’s oldest bird observatory.

☀️ 🌊 🌧️ Watch the weather roll in over the sea from inside the fog horn.

🤔 Learn island secrets from our May Princess crew and the island’s Nature Scot experts.

🦭 And the island wildlife will be there to welcome you, too! It’s officially coming into seal season, when the island’s grey seal colony swells to thousands.

⛴️ Travel by boat and once on the island, enjoy FREE access to all the Open Doors experiences.

⚓ Book your passage to the Isle of May at anstrutherpleasurecruises.co.uk.

25/08/2024

Just how far does the Isle of May news reach around the world...well find out on todays blog post: https://isleofmaynnr.wordpress.com/

23/08/2024

Love a good fairytale? 🦭 📚 🧜‍♀️ We couldn’t let pass without a mention for our ‘selkies’…..

The word ‘selkie’ means seal in old Scots but there’s more beneath the surface…

According to Scottish legend, the true selkie is a seal-like creature that sometimes comes ashore, casts off its pelt, and assumes human form as it dances on the beach. 🦭🧜‍♀️🌊

Now we can’t make any promises but there’s every chance you’ll see a selkie on the Isle of May - home to its own large colony of seals which rapidly expands during the upcoming seal pup season!

So hop aboard the May Princess to discover the Isle of May’s magic AND discover more tales of witches, Vikings, kings and pirates, too….

⚓ Book at www.isleofmayferry.com and we’ll meet you on Anstruther harbour!

15/08/2024

05/08/2024

Is this one of Scotland’s most stunning picnic spots? We think it’s the perfect place for a hearty pie. 😋 🥧 And if feasting above 50ft cliffs overlooking Pilgrim’s Haven isn’t whetting your appetite, the Isle of May has plenty more places to pull up a seat along the shoreline and harbour. So pack your reusable water bottle and a bite to eat for the ultimate table with a view…

🍫 🧃 Oh and if you forget something, pop into a cafe on Anstruther Harbour before we depart or find snacks and drinks in our little bar on board the May Princess.

⚓ Book your passage to the Isle of May at anstrutherpleasurecruises.co.uk.

31/07/2024

22/07/2024

The Isle of May is home to an impressive THREE trailblazing lighthouses! ⭐ Which is your favourite?

💡 The Beacon, constructed in 1636, is Scotland’s first and oldest lighthouse. A flash of white on the island skyline, it was at one time three floors tall, with a coal burning basket on the top lit nightly to warn passing ships of the presence of the dangerous island. It fell into disrepair when it was replaced by…

💡 The Stevenson Lighthouse. Designed by the famous engineer Robert Stevenson, this towering landmark was constructed in 1816. In 1886 it became Scotland’s first lighthouse to run on electricity and it’s been entirely solar power since 2016!

💡 Last but not least, The Low Light was constructed in 1843 to work alongside the main lighthouse but it was replaced by a light ship at North Carr Rocks in 1887. It’s now home to Scotland’s oldest bird observatory, founded in 1934. 🐦 Bird watchers have the opportunity to stay here, too. Discover more at isleofmaybirdobs.org.

⚓ Want to brighten up your summer? Book an illuminating trip to the Isle of May at anstrutherpleasurecruises.co.uk and get up close to the island's magnificent history, wildlife, and heritage.

12/07/2024

"Puffins...a creature of land, sea and sky. 🌧️ 🐧 🌊 They wheel and spin through the air, personalities shining through, and sand eels glinting in their beaks."

Bella - a volunteer with on the Isle of May - was blown away (almost literally) observing the puffins cliff-edge performance in stormy weather earlier this week. All good practice for the long, hard winter these birds will spend on open seas. We can hardly believe the puffins will be flying off again in a few weeks...

See Bella's full story - and discover lots seabird reports from the island - over at isleofmaynnr.wordpress.com.

Meanwhile, if you hope to see puffins on the Isle of May in 2024, book your sailing asap. The birds usually begin leaving in early August. See availability at anstrutherpleasurecruises.com.

Images by Robert Melville

04/07/2024

How do we create the eerie call of a foghorn? 💨 📢 On the Isle of May, the vibrating column of compressed air needed to produce the distinctive foghorn tone was generated at a power plant on the island's 'Fluke Street.' The air was then pushed to the North and South foghorns via cast iron pipes that you can still see today.

While the fog horns are no longer in use, the impressive, cliff top South Fog Horn (with its giant trumpet on top) is still accessible, where you can watch haar roll across the north sea through its salt battered window.

📸 Tanks and Fluke Street by

01/07/2024

Is there really a 'street' on the wild and remote Isle of May? 🌊 Yes! Tucked into a natural fault line, this thin row of buildings once housed the engine house, boiler house, coal store, workshops and lighthouse keepers cottages.

Some say the settlement was given the name Fluke Street by naval personnel stationed on the island. Others believe the lighthouse keepers chose the nickname, but its true origins remain a mystery.

Fluke Street is now used mostly to accommodate the team - and you can visit! Find it on the edge of a damned loch, in the gully cutting through the heart of the island.

⛴ Excited to plan your next visit to the Isle of May? Book your tickets at anstrutherpleasurecruises.com and we'll see you on board...

📸 Fluke Street

30/06/2024

Full steam ahead for summer holidays! ⛴ We have some availability from late July but don’t miss the boat. Spaces aboard the May Princess are filling up fast! 🎫 Book your passage on the May Princess at anstrutherpleasurecruises.com and we’ll meet you on Anstruther harbour. 🙌 ⚓️

23/06/2024

Our not-so-hidden treasure makes headlines again!🤫 🌊 ☀️ ‘In the know’ travellers may soon be swapping the likes of Cinque Terre for the East Neuk, Amalfi for Anstruther, and crowded islands for a sail to our car-free reserve, the Isle of May…

“I was on the Fife coast which, with its pastel-hued fishing harbours, rocky shores, fine beaches, ancient fortifications and excellent food, is a sort-of Scottish version of Italy’s Cinque Terre; a bonnie riviera.“ -

La dolce vita? 😘 Nae problema. On board the May Princess, enjoy a wee prosecco (or maybe a dram) and meet a passionate, local crew of mostly ex-fisherman. 🥃 ⛴️ 🍾 Back on the mainland, you’ll find award-winning foodie havens, glorious sandy beaches, charming wynds, and a string of bonnie villages, connected by the ruggedly beautiful .

Bellissima. 💕 Or as we say in Fife…braw!

Tempted by our East Neuk alternative to a Mediterranean escape? ⛴ Don’t miss the wild beauty of the Isle of May. Book your sailing at isleofmayferry.com and we’ll meet you on Anstruther harbour.

17/06/2024

We’re flying high after hearing news of soaring bird numbers on the Isle of May! 🦅 While our puffins made the STV headlines, there are plenty more reasons to be excited. Here are 5 highlights from the Isle of May NNR blog…

🐧 Yes, puffin numbers are up since the last census! According to the count, the puffin population has increased by 33%, from 39,000 pairs to 52,000 pairs, since the last survey in 2017.

🕊️ The elegant yet fiesty Arctic Terns have returned. Last year, the birds sadly didn’t breed on the Isle of May (for the first time in decades) but this year there are now 200 breeding pairs...and counting! 🙌 Remember, these birds are VERY protective of their nests so take a hat and something to wave them away. This will help to prevent them from pecking your head as you pass.

🪿 A Canadian Goose has been visiting the island. It’s thought to have stopped off on its way north to the Beauly Firth.

🐦 June is counting season on the Isle of May. The team focus on nesting seabirds on the cliffs, including Guillemots, Razorbills, Fulmars, Shags and Kittiwakes. Results will be shared later in the summer.

🦆 And last but not least, Eider Ducklings will soon be on the march, after a 4-week incubation period. According to the blog, ‘Eider ducks are brilliant mothers as non-breeders, aunties or failed breeders will all help as they crèche in large numbers.’

🥰 It takes a village, as the saying goes, and the Isle of May is a beautiful example of a vibrant, bustling community of birds and plentiful sea-life. 🦭 🐋 🐬

Keep up with all the latest news from the Isle of May via on facebook or visit their blog, isleofmaynnr.wordpress.com/

⛴ Book a trip on the May Princess to experience, up close, the wild beauty of the Isle of May. We’re fully booked for June but do still have a few spaces for the summer holidays. Tickets are available at anstrutherpleasurecruises.com.

Images by Robert Melville

06/06/2024

Saturday 8th June is World Oceans Day! 🌊 🌎 Celebrate our blue planet by making some waves on an unforgettable sail to reserve, the Isle of May. AND you can help protect this sanctuary for puffins, guillemots, seals, and all wildlife that depend on clean, safe, plentiful oceans...

🌊 Tread carefully. Please avoid disturbing wildlife or heritage sites, use designated facilities, and stay on the paths.
🌊 BYO reusable picnic-ware and water bottle, and minimise single-use plastic. Please take home everything you bring and recycle responsibly.
🌊 Take inspiration from Isle of May’s solar-powered lighthouse! Learn more about generating your own greener power at or homeenergyscotland.org.
🌊 Create your little paradise island by encouraging wildflowers, pollinators, birds and beasties into your garden or window box. See more at nature.scot/climate-change/climate-change-what-can-you-do
🌊 Support the Isle of May NNR with a donation to mypark.scot/Appeal/support-national-nature-reserves

⛴ Excited to plan your next visit to the Isle of May? Book your tickets at anstrutherpleasurecruises.com and we'll see you on board...

Images by Duke Scotland

02/06/2024

Welcome to puffin paradise! 🏝️ 🐧 After a tough 3-4 years at sea, these hardy young puffins are rewarded with a return to their birth place, and reserve, the Isle of May. Breeding puffins find each other annually at the same colony, and some even go on to live for many years. The oldest puffin on record was 37 years old and living in Northern Scotland.

Discover more about puffins on board the May Princess - and meet them for yourself when you arrive on the Isle of May.

🎫 ⛴️ Book at anstrutherpleasurecruises.com and we’ll meet you at our hut by Anstruther Harbour!

Image by Robert Melville