Adam Nicolson follows the story of the seabirds on the Shiant Isles, off the west coast of Scotland. As the puffins, guillemots and razorbills arrive from the North Atlantic, Adam traces our long history of dependence on seabirds.

Picking up the birds’ progress in July, Adam finds the Shiants colonies to be healthy. But further afield in Iceland, Adam sees colonies where nearly all the birds have been wiped out.