A few puffins reside on steep slopes on the mainland side in the vicinity of the cove, but these should also only be viewed at a distance – from the path down to the beach – to avoid disturbance and since the slippery grass around their burrows also terminates in cliffs.
This is a stunningly beautiful spot even without the wildlife, with the shingle beach of Puffin Bay itself the best (only) place to gaze up at the cliffs from below. This inaccessible location protects the birds from land predators and also prevents the growing number of human visitors from getting too close binoculars and / or a good zoom lens are recommended.
The vast majority nest on the pointy sea stack of Wester Clett, which protects the bay from northerly storms. Puffin Cove near Melvich is the site of the UK mainland’s largest puffin colony by far, with 3,500 pairs recorded by the RSPB in 2019. Highland | Melvich | Puffin colony | ★★★★
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