Visitors of the furred, feathered and human kind have flocked to the Isle of May this year.
Staff at the Scottish Natural Heritage reserve have reported an interesting season where they have not only increased visitor numbers but attracted a few unusual guests too.
From Easter to September visitor numbers increased by 6%.
One sailing to the Forth reserve saw a party of Chinese diplomats visiting to examine the island as an example of green tourism.
SNH is hoping to run more themed days next year as events on seabirds, lighthouses, seals and the people of the May attracted big turn-outs.
The Firth of Forth also sees plenty of other animals passing by. It has been a good year for whales, dolphins and porpoises with almost daily sightings of Minke whales during August.
There were also good sightings of porpoises and a Risso’s dolphin, one of the largest dolphins at 10 feet long.
Right at the end of the season there was even a distant view, by one of the reserve staff, of an orca or killer whale.
The May seabirds got off to a very early start to their season but only had an average year for chick survival perhaps due to particularly stormy weather earlier in the year.
Kittiwakes had a good season, as did the shags, but guillemots only had an average season with razorbills doing badly.
The other island residents, the grey seals, have got off to a good pupping season with 2,000 young being produced so far.
SNH also had the decorators in to paint the North Horn. The horn is a listed building, built in 1939 to warn shipping in the Forth during foggy weather.
The online world came to the Isle of May this year as well with the reserve staff blogging (link) and receiving over 13,000 page views.