Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Conservationists say they do not believe the decline of Scotland’s seabirds is inevitable despite plummeting populations.

Rising sea temperatures, food shortages and disease outbreaks such as avian flu are all contributing to declines.

But on the Isle of Lunga in the Inner Hebrides, a growing puffin population is providing some cause for optimism.

Lunga is a bird reserve where tens of thousands of seabirds nest during the summer months, including puffins. Nearby Harp Rock, a dramatic sea stack, is often described as a seabird city.

There is evidence that measures here are making a difference.

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