Scotland TRAVEL
We had an enviable view across the Firth of Forth to Bass Rock from our North Berwick campsite. This volcanic lump, which resembles a lost iceberg, is the breeding home for thousands of gannets.
Having come to Scotland to practise our birdwatching, we thought the Scottish Seabird Centre, a short walk away along the beach, would be a good start. We were soon immersed in the fun and interactive computer games; as a seal I only caught two fish and I failed to fend off predators with my foul vomit as a young fulmar. On the live camera we watched those elegant gannets on Bass Rock and then tried to match 12 chicks to parents from photographs, but our lousy score of four highlighted the work we needed to do on our birdwatching skills.
Just short of North Berwick, we had stopped at the nearby Tantallon Castle. Beyond the impressive red-stone ruins, the white mass of Bass Rock shimmered in the blue sea and fulmars nested on the cliffs below the castle's outer wall.
We had recently taken the plunge and joined the RSPB and, browsing through the member's handbook at home, I noticed reserves I could string together in a northeastern Scotland tour. This would have the double benefit of taking us to some new parts of a favourite country
