BASS ROCK
THE BASS ROCK
NORTH BERWICK, SCOTLAND
Bass Rock - view from Canty Bay
"The Bass Rock on the Firth of Forth - the curious white island!"
LOCATION
The Bass Rock is a small rocky island in the Firth of Forth estuary on
the east coast of Scotland. It is located 1 mile offshore and about 3 miles northeast of the East Lothian town of North Berwick. I have tried twice to photograph
it; neither visit was a total success. I have had to contend with either misty
light rain or a severe gale. But this is the nature of the territory on this
north east coast; it’s totally exposed to the elements and the North Sea.
GEOLOGY
Bass Rock is a volcanic plug. It formed inside the
lava vent of a volcano some 300 million years ago (Carboniferous Period). The
big numbers in geology never cease to impress me, especially when compared to
our own short lives.
When the structure of the rock was examined it was
found to have large crystals, indicating that the molten rock (lava) from which
the island formed, cooled very slowly because it was insulated deep within the
volcano. In the intervening 300+ million years, the softer outer rock of the
volcano has been eroded away by the elements. Natural forces (glaziers, ice,
sun, wind and water) will have slowly weather and scattered the material as sediment across
the North Sea and surrounding land area. The hard rock of Bass Rock is all that
is left. Looking at the rock and imagining the size of the volcano that was once formed
above it, and then what Mother Nature has done to that volcano is mind-boggling!
Remnants of extinct volcanoes
are widespread hereabouts. Two well known examples are several miles to the
west in Edinburgh. Edinburgh Castle is built on top of a volcanic plug, and
Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park is another example.
HUMAN HISTORY
Currently the island is uninhabited, but there
have been human inhabitants in the past. Religious settlers were the first and
there are the ruins of a chapel. A castle was built and occupied. Later the
castle was used to imprison “political prisoners” during the more abysmal times
of our history. Up until First World War the island was let out to tenants who
lived by fishing, grazing sheep and collecting bird’s eggs.
LIGHTHOUSE
Part of the castle was demolished in 1902 to
make way for the Bass Rock Lighthouse. The lighthouse keepers were the last
full time occupants of the island. The lighthouse was automated in 1988.
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| Bass Rock Lighthouse & Castle Remains |
SEA BIRD SANCTUARY
Bass Rock always looks white in colour, almost as if the
island is made of “chalk.” It is the home of up to 150,000 Northern Gannets,
and it is these seabirds and their droppings (guano) that give the island its white
appearance. The island is now a designated bird sanctuary and it is illegal to land
on the island without permission or to interfere with the birds in any way.
The
island is looked after by The Scottish Seabird Centre which is based in North
Berwick at the harbour. During spring and summer months they conduct boat trips
out to Bass Rock to view the Gannet colony; some trips offer the opportunity to
land on the island for a guided tour. They have a very good website (link
below) and have a couple of live webcams on the island that are well worth a
look.
BEST VIEWING POINTS
The best place to view the rock by car and without any walking is at Milsey Bay car park and viewpoint at the eastern end of North Berwick seafront. The view is across the golf course and Bass Rock is 2.3 miles away. Photographers take your telephoto lenses.
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| Bass Rock from North Berwick Viewpoint |
A little further east is Canty Bay which is a little closer (1.6 miles) to the island and has is a good view. But you will have to walk from the car park about half a mile further east.
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| Bass Rock from Canty Bay |
Still further to the east is Tantallon
Castle which has a great view of the island (1.4 miles). You will however have
to pay for entrance to the castle, and there is a fair bit of walking involved
also.
One
further place to consider is “Gin Head.” If you look at a map or search the
internet for this place you will, as I did, think this is the closest position
to view the island (1.3 miles) from the mainland. It is an old military site
and is due for redevelopment. This area was not accessible during my visit in
2016, but this may change.
THE END
In this part of Scotland there are many interesting places
to visit, ideal for anyone touring the area by car. I would certainly recommend
a visit to see the curious white island of Bass Rock.
Best wishes, Phil.
LINKS + FURTHER READING
My Flickr Page:
Bass Rock Wiki:
The Scottish Seabird Centre:
Bass Rock Geology:
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