Owner Stories: Sir Hew Dalrymple on Seabirds and Bass Rock
Sir Hew Dalrymple is the owner of enchanting Leuchie Walled Garden, a striking property near North Berwick that blends a 200-year-old gardener’s cottage with a modern mid-century house.
Hew has lived in North Berwick all his life and was a founding trustee of the Scottish Seabird Centre. His family own Bass Rock – a dramatic volcanic island in the Firth of Forth and home to the world’s largest colony of Northern Gannets, which was once described by Sir David Attenborough as one of the 12 wildlife wonders of the world. Hew is passionate about seabirds and protecting the gannets that inhabit Bass Rock, so we caught up with him to ask him about the gannets and the iconic island, as well as his top spots in North Berwick.
How and when did you become interested in seabirds?
I think I’ve always been interested in gannets and seabirds. Because of my family link with Bass Rock I have been visiting the island and the gannets there since I was a child. I remember landing on the Bass was such an adventure. We’d take a picnic that we’d eat on the top of the rock while looking out over the Firth of Forth and watching the gannets flap around and squabble among themselves. At that time there was soil and grass on the island and only about 25-30,000 gannets on the Bass nesting on the cliff sides.
How many birds inhabit Bass Rock?
There are around 150,000 gannets on Bass Rock these days. It’s very noisy and smelly on the island – just think how much bird poo is deposited there over the summer! – so you’ll often catch a whiff of ammonia on the wind if you visit by boat. That said, you can’t fail to be impressed by the magnificence of these hundreds of thousands of gannets.
What’s it like visiting the gannets on Bass Rock?
Seeing the gannets up close is mesmerizing. They are completely hugger-mugger with one another, and they jostle and fight among themselves to protect their nests. If you are lucky enough to land you can get within about three feet of the gannets. As long as you don’t get much closer than that you’re safe to observe and admire them… but get any closer and they will peck!
Landing on the island is often difficult, but you can see almost as much from a boat, as you can get within about five metres of the cliffs where the gannets nest. Boat trips are run by the Scottish Seabird Centre, so you’ll have a very knowledgeable guide, and they’ll also take you around to Craigleith island where there is a very large and lovely puffin colony for about six weeks each summer. Puffins are everybody’s favourite seabird, but I have a loyalty to gannets.
What has been your most memorable trip to Bass Rock?
When my children were young, we’d come to the rock for an adventure! Not many people know this, but there’s actually a natural cave in the rock then tunnels through the middle of the island. We’d walk through it clambering over rocks and splashing through slimy puddles… it was a bit of a primeval experience.
Who has been the most notable Bass Rock visitor?
Sir David Attenborough visited Bass Rock for his millennium series 26 years ago. It was very special and he was absolutely blown away by it and the gannets. He described it as one of the 12 wildlife wonders of the world. You can’t get a better endorsement than that! It really made us realize just how special it is and how important it is to birdlife.
Where are the best spots for seabird watching?
There are plenty of good places to watch the birds around North Berwick. We get lots of waders, so the beaches are a great place to spot them. Drift Cafe is a popular spot to birdwatch over a cup of coffee and down by the shore at Canty Bay is lovely too. However, if you’re a real ornithologist Aberlady Bay is the best place to go. There’s a much wider variety of seabirds and waders to see there, and in the winter, around 30,000 pink-footed Geese come across from Iceland to roost too.
What are your favourite North Berwick spots?
North Berwick has everything; it’s the perfect place for a holiday. My favourite things to do in and around North Berwick include:
- The views from the top of North Berwick Law are breathtaking on a clear day.
- A trip around the ruins of Tantallon Castle is always special.
- Visiting the boating pond on North Berwick beach. Built into the rocks, the pond holds water when the tide is out providing a safe place for children to swim and paddle.
- A walk along the John Muir Way.
- Lobster and chips and at sunset at The Rocketeer
- Drift Café for coffee and a glorious view and Bostock Bakery for the pastels de nata!
Leuchie Walled Garden
Nestled in the glorious walled gardens of Leuchie House – which has been in the Dalrymple family since 1698 – near North Berwick, Hew’s six-bedroom property is bounded by manicured gardens and mature fruit trees. With its artful architecture and stylish interiors peppered with family antiques, it’s a treasure trove of impeccable design, both inside and out.
