THE Isle of May is set to reopen its public landings from Monday following the bird flu outbreak that was confirmed in the county in June.

NatureScot, which operates the island, has confirmed that the majority of the nesting species have now left the island, meaning the public can return, but certain restrictions and biosecurity measures will remain.

The island had been closed for five weeks following the confirmation of avian flu across the islands off the East Lothian coast, which had seen seabird species washing up on county beaches.

The Isle of May, a National Nature Reserve, was closed to help protect vulnerable seabird populations from the spread and impact of the current H5N1 strain of avian flu in seabird colonies.

READ MORE: Bird flu: NatureScot advise suspension of all public landings

With the breeding season now over for the majority of seabird species on the island, most of the animals have vacated the island to find new pastures over winter.

But NatureScot indicated that it was not yet possible to assess how much the current outbreak of avian flu had impacted on the island’s breeding populations, even though some species have successfully bred.

Visitors to the island will be asked to remain on paths and biosecurity measures will be in place on boats and on the island.

The virus has been found to stay on the ground and in bird faeces for a long time, so restricting access to any areas that still have nesting seabirds and taking simple steps to disinfect boots and clean clothing is crucial in minimising the effect of the disease.

The Bass Rock, which houses the largest northern gannet colony in the world, will remain closed, with the resident seabirds not due to leave the island for another two months.

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Eileen Stuart, NatureScot’s deputy director of nature and climate change, said: “We hope the restrictions limited the spread of avian flu on the Isle of May, although more research is needed to confirm this in the coming months.

"We are grateful for the ongoing support from local boat operators during this challenging period.

“On those islands which are still occupied by nesting seabirds, we’d ask for patience, as the restrictions are our best chance to reduce the spread of this deadly virus.

"We recognise that this will be disappointing for those planning a visit, but we hope people understand that this is about protecting our precious seabird populations for the future.

"We will continue to keep the situation under regular review over the coming weeks.”