| Scottish Gaelic name | Eilean Mhàigh |
|---|---|
| Old Norse name | Máeyar (cf. plural) |
| Meaning of name | Uncertain |
 Isle of May looking toward the Stevenson lighthouse | |
| Location | |
  Isle of May Isle of May shown within Fife | |
| OS grid reference | NT656992 |
| Coordinates | 56°11′N 2°33′W / 56.18°N 2.55°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Islands of the Forth |
| Area | 57 hectares (140 acres) |
| Area rank | 210= [1] |
| Highest elevation | 50 metres (160 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Council area | Fife |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0[2] |
 | |
| References | [3][4] [5] |
The Isle of May is located in the north of the outer Firth of Forth, approximately 8 km (5.0 mi) off the coast of mainland Scotland. It is about 1.5 kilometres (0.9 miles) long and 0.5 kilometres (0.3 miles) wide. The island is owned and managed by NatureScot as a national nature reserve. There are now no permanent residents, but the island was the site of St Adrian's Priory during the Middle Ages.
Most visitors to the island are daytrippers taking the ferry from Anstruther in Fife, although up to six visitors can stay at the bird observatory,[6] usually for a week at a time. The only way to get there is by ferry; the journey takes 45 minutes from the small harbours of Anstruther and Crail, and also from North Berwick. As of 2015, around 11,000 people visit the island each year.[7]
The island is closed to visitors from 1 October until Easter to prevent disturbance to the large number of seal pups. The Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick has two live cameras on the island, which can be remotely controlled by visitors, to allow close viewing of the seabird cities, including puffins, guillemots, razorbills, shags, cormorants and terns and the fluffy grey seal pups in winter, without disturbance. The Scottish Seabird Centre also runs boat trips to the Isle of May. As well as its natural heritage, the Isle of May also has a rich cultural heritage, including St Adrian's Chapel, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Furthermore, the Isle of May Lighthouse; Keepers' Houses; North and South Horns; the Low and Light Cottages; the Coal Store and Stable Block; and the former Lighthouse Beacon have all been included in the list of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.
- ^ Area and population ranks: there are c. 300 islands over 20 ha in extent and 93 permanently inhabited islands were listed in the 2011 census.
- ^ National Records of Scotland (15 August 2013). "Appendix 2: Population and households on Scotland's Inhabited Islands" (PDF). Statistical Bulletin: 2011 Census: First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland Release 1C (Part Two) (PDF) (Report). SG/2013/126. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7.
- ^ Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 59 St Andrews (Kirkcaldy & Glenrothes) (Map). Ordnance Survey. 2010. ISBN 978-0-319-22982-8.
- ^ Anderson, Joseph (Ed.) (1893) Orkneyinga Saga. Translated by Jón A. Hjaltalin & Gilbert Goudie. Edinburgh. James Thin and Mercat Press (1990 reprint). ISBN 0-901824-25-9
- ^ "Isle of May". Adrian Winter. Archived from the original on 25 October 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2008.
- ^ The Story of the Isle of May National Nature Reserve. p. 23.