The Last Seabird Summer

The Last Seabird Summer follows Adam Nicolson as he explores the world of the seabirds on the Shiant Isles in the Outer Hebrides, one of the most important bird places of Europe. He traces the history of our long dependence on seabirds – thousands of years of collecting eggs and hunting the birds for meat, oil and feathers. But now their numbers are in steep decline – 40% of our seabirds have been lost in Scotland alone. To try and understand what’s behind this crisis, Adam travels to colonies that have been badly hit, both in Scotland and Iceland, and talks to local people and experts who reveal an unexpected picture of the global forces shaping the seabirds’ future.