My old boss, and Tom’s occasional golf partner, Pots, is a very avid twitcher. He holds records for bird sightings. However, despite his many and varied bird sightings around the world, back in 2004 when we visited the Orkney Islands, we knew he had not yet seen a puffin. Our bird-sighting list is comparatively tiny, so we were on a mission to see a puffin first. We are, truth be told, quite competitive.

We loved touring various historical sites in the Orkneys – and there are many. It’s an amazing place, full of history and ruins. Skara Brae, for example, a stone-built Neolithic village, has ruins of houses built before Stonehenge or the pyramids.

This day, a Sunday in April, was planned around visiting various sites, armed with brochures, booklets, and pages photocopied from our copy of A Visitor’s Guide to A History of Britain. These days no doubt you would download an itinerary from online and traipse around a pre-planned route.

Early in the day we went to the Brough of Birsay, a tidal island 20 miles northwest of Kirkwall, with remains of Pictish and Norse settlements. When we were there in the morning the tide was in, so we couldn’t cross onto the island.

The day continued with visits to numerous sites including the Broch of Gurness, Kitchener Memorial, Skara Brae, Skaill House, and Unstan Burial Mound just to name a few, and we attempted our version of birdwatching (meaning not with a lot a patience).

After booking a tour of Maes Howe for the next morning, we were browsing in the visitor centre and started chatting with the staff. We acknowledged that we were probably far too early in the season to come across any puffins by chance. But perhaps, they might know where to look?

Why, yes. Indeed, that couple just over there who happened to also be in the visitor centre at that time, they are avid birdwatchers. They had mentioned that they saw some nesting puffins just recently.

Brief introductions ensued as we met Steve and Lyndal, working here from New Zealand. Could they show us a puffin? Yes – but we would have to rush. The location was back on the Brough of Birsay tidal island, and the tide would be coming in again soon.

Off we headed, our hire car following the couple’s car as we quickly drove north for about 20 minutes (about 14 miles). Parked the car, walked briskly over the narrow causeway and onto the island. We had commented earlier that the island looked just like a golf green which had been tilted over on its side. We quickly walked across the island. Steve pointed out various historical ruins, but no time to stop and amble around.

Followed a track past the ruins, up the steep hill then a sudden stop, before falling off the cliff.

The nesting puffins were in holes in the cliff face itself. So, to see them, you had to lie down and shuffle forward to lean over the edge, looking down and left.

Tom looked first, hands gripping the edge of the cliff. Can you see them? No? Just shuffle a little further out. Ask yourself, would you lie over the edge of a cliff with someone you’d only just met counterbalancing you to prevent you falling to a certain death? There we were, with a couple of strangers we had only met extremely recently, on a lonely uninhabited island, hanging over the edge of a cliff. Just shuffle out a little more!

Yes! There’s a puffin! Tick! You could see the movement of the birds in the crevices of the cliff, and their bright beaks as they appeared to look up at us inquisitively.

I was very glad to have at least two people holding on to my feet and legs when it was my turn. I saw a nesting puffin before quickly returning to secure ground. The cliff was too steep to let go and take a photo (don’t drop that camera over the edge!), plus we were too excited and too worried about the tide. But we do have witnesses that we saw the puffins!

But time and tide wait for no man, so with Steve keeping a very close eye on the time, we quickly crossed the island back to the causeway. Just in time, really, as the water was already lapping over the causeway. Don’t want to get stuck on the island overnight!

Our generous hosts then invited us home for coffee, which turned into a delicious evening meal. We recall sitting in their loungeroom with a large glass picture window, looking out at the beautiful scenery of the Orkneys. A large hare slowly hopped past in the twilight, pausing to seemingly look in at us. A stunning backdrop as we were regaled with great Orkney stories and fine whisky drinking advice. Of course, that then led to a tour of the Highland Park Whisky Distillery the next day, where Steve worked.

Thanks Lyndal and Steve, for the meal, the whisky, and of course, the personal tour to the puffins.