Puffin Fest, Scotland's celebration of the iconic puffin, returns to the Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick, for the third consecutive year from 20 to 30 May.

During the 10-day festival, the award-winning visitor attraction will host a family-friendly programme of activities, aimed at inspiring locals and visitors alike to learn more about the 'clowns of the sea', while also highlighting the importance of conserving and protecting Scotland's seabirds for future generations.

The programme features a range of activities including art workshops with the Edinburgh Sketcher and local artist Mandy Thomson; wildlife photography workshops with the award-winning Tom Langlands; Puffin Parties with Forth 1 and the RSPB; Puffin Express boat trips; guided walks with East Lothian Council Ranger Service plus the chance to zoom in on the live puffin action on the Firth of Forth islands with the interactive live cameras in the Discovery Centre.

Tom Brock OBE, Chief Executive of the Scottish Seabird Centre, said: “With the Firth of Forth being home to tens of thousands of puffins between April and early August and with the Isle of May being the largest puffin colony on the east coast of Britain, North Berwick is the ideal location for this wonderful annual celebration of puffins.

“In addition to the activities at the Centre, I will be online on 25 May for #Wildhour. Questions and discussion points will be posted online at www.seabird.org in advance and I hope nature, puffin and environmental fans near and wide join me on Twitter from 20:00 to 21:00.”

To officially open the festival, the Seabird Centre is calling upon schools across Scotland to get creative. The Edinburgh Sketcher has created a special puffin drawing and schools are invited to colour-in the puffin artwork. One winner will be selected and will not only receive free passes for the Centre and a trip on the Puffin Express, but the chance to officially open the festival at 13:00 on Friday 20 May.

The Edinburgh Sketcher said: “I would encourage school pupils of all ages to get involved in the competition, and to be creative and colourful to show these 'clowns of the sea' in all their glory! It's a great opportunity to not only open Puffin Fest but also to get close to these beautiful seabirds on a Puffin Express boat trip. Having experienced Puffin Fest and the boat trips myself, they are certainly something I would recommend.”

Some of the highlights of this year's programme include:

• #Wildhour online discussion on 25 May
• Speed Sketching by the Coast with the Edinburgh Sketcher on 22 May
• Make a Puffin Kite on 22 and 29 May with the team from Alchemy Arts
• Puffin Scoping Walk on the Wild Side with East Lothian Council Ranger Service, where Ranger Dave Wild will take visitors on a ramble along the shore on 28 May
• Walking with Birds nature tour at Hopes Reservoir on 25 May
• Interactive puppet show Percy the Puffin's Homecoming Adventure 20, 21, 22, 27 and 29 May
• Thirty-minute Puffin Express boat trips throughout Puffin Fest
• Secrets of Wildlife Photography workshop with award-winning photographer Tom Langlands on 21 and 28 May
• Join the Puffin Parties with Forth 1 with Arlene Stuart and Mark Martin, plus Captain Flap, Tammie the Puffin and the RSPB on 21 and 28 May
• Captain Flap Flies Forth interactive science show on 22 and 29 May
• Puffin Portrait Postcards with Mandy Thomson on 21 and 28 May
• Visitors can also pick up a Puffin Passport and tour North Berwick to win prizes.

Events at Puffin Fest are included with admission, except from the Secrets of Wildlife Photography (£65 per day), Speed Sketching by the Coast (£5 – also receive ½ price entry to the Discovery Centre) and the Puffin Express boat trips (adults £10/ children £5/ under 3 free). Admission to the Discovery Centre is £8.95 for adults and £4.95 for children/ under 3 free. For the full programme visit www.seabird.org

The closing date for the Puffin Fest schools colouring competition is Friday 29 April. For full details visit the Learning section at www.seabird.org

We are currently considering a limited number of press visits to the Scottish Seabird Centre during the summer months, in return for reviews and features.  If this is of any interest to you, please feel free to get back in touch.