NATURESCOT has advised the public to halt all landings on islands throughout Scotland where seabird colonies are present, including five off the East Lothian coast, as a result of the ongoing bird flu outbreak.

Bird flu was confirmed in East Lothian last month when testing on gannets that had washed ashore on county beaches showed evidence of the virus.

The Bass Rock, near North Berwick, hosts the largest northern gannet population in the world, with 150,000 birds calling it home during breeding season.

While public landings on the Bass Rock had already been suspended by the Scottish Seabird Centre, NatureScot has extended this advice until mid-October to help protect the gannet populations, as well as the storm petrels and Manx shearwaters present on the island.

Landings at the Lamb and the Fidra will also fall under the new advice to protect the breeding great skuas, common terns, cormorants and fulmars until mid-September.

While breeding puffins, Arctic skuas and Arctic terns present on the Isle of May and Craigleith will be protected from landings until the end of August.

NatureScot reminded the public that they could still enjoy the summer seabird colonies by taking the many boat trips available across the county, but landings had to be suspended to give "seabirds the best possible chance to survive and recover from the current severe outbreak".

Great skuas, gannets and guillemots have been hardest hit by the avian flu outbreak, with sample surveys of colonies showing up to an 85 per cent decline of great skuas at colonies in Orkney and up to 25 per cent decline in gannet numbers at Shetland colonies.

The extent of the damage to the East Lothian-based populations is unknown but recent drone footage conducted by the Scottish Seabird Centre and the University of Edinburgh showed worrying signs of depopulation on the Bass Rock.

READ MORE: Bird flu's devastating impact on Bass Rock gannets laid bare in drone footage

Eileen Stuart, NatureScot’s deputy director of nature and climate change, said: “Restricting visits to these islands is not an easy decision, but we are increasingly concerned about the devastating impact avian flu is having in Scotland, particularly on our seabird colonies.

“Many of our Scottish islands are a haven for internationally important bird populations.

"With the avian flu crisis evolving so quickly, we have to respond to reduce the spread of this virulent disease.

"Tragically, this destructive disease could be with us for some time to come.

"In Scotland, with the new task force announced last week, we and our partners are committed to sharing our expertise and co-ordinating action on the ground.”