Nature's Stage

The Isle of Canna's NatureFest offers a front-row seat to Scotland's untamed beauty

- DANIELLA THEIS

DESPITE being home to just over two dozen people, the small Isle of Canna is bursting with life.

Among its most-famous inhabitants are the 2,000 puffins that arrive each year between April and July. But there's far more to see than puffins. More than 20,000 breeding seabirds gather around Canna's dramatic coastline, alongside a wealth of other wildlife, unique flora and an extraordinarily rich archaeological landscape.

These are the wonders that the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), which owns the island, and Canna's resident ranger Tom Allen hope to celebrate with visitors during a week-long NatureFest this summer.

Running from July 21-26, there will be a whole host of events to get involved in, including puffin walks, exploring Canna House gardens, an introduction to the fungi of Canna and a talk about one of Scotland's rarest birds.

The idea to run a series of events came to Tom after first getting the job as permanent ranger.