The standard unit for counting Herring Gulls is Apparently Occupied Nests or Territories ie AON or AOT.

Year	Bass Rock	Craigleith	Lamb	Fidra	Eyebroughy	Inchkeith	Carr Craig	Inchcolm	Haystack	Inchmickery + Cow & Calves	Inchgarvie + Forth Bridge	Long Craig	May Isle	Total
1959			?400-500	20		hundreds	x	1
1960			x			x				3
1961			x			x				3
1962			x	c60						3	2
1963			x	x						2
1964				x						c4
1965		x	x	x		x				c8
1966		thousands	several hundred	many dozens	180	x				c 45
1967		x	hundreds	a few		x				?15
1968		x	x	x		x				c30
1969	1050	5500	550	c 100		750		5		30	10		15000
1970		x	x	x	141	1000				130			13000
1971		x	250	73	162	1000+				120			13140
1972		x	c300	200		x				200	106		15000
1973		4500-5000	c400	c250		x	65	x	c45	1	90		9000
1974		x	c500	c 350		x	40-50	250-300		6	106		6955
1975		5000	c375	646 mixed		4000	125	c500	80	x	c100		4485
1976	500+	x	300	160		x	c75	c 400	50	c 100	c110		2975
1977	c 225	3000-3500	300-350	130		x	70	870	70	85			3670
1978	150	3000+	x	c 450		2400+	112	350-400	c50	82			3880
1979	200	x	x	x	x	x							3950
1980	x	c2500	x	410 mixed		x							3615
1981	250	2000+	c220	x	x	x		400	x		x		2500
1982	c150	x	x	250+		x				x			2300
1983	x	x	x	419 mixed		x				x			2578
1984	400+	c1500	c125	c350	x	x				x			2230
1985	x	1500	x	c500	x	x							2165
1986	c500	1000	350 adults?	480 mixed		8000 mixed				x			1943
1987	325	2280	220	410	170	c4000	28	1040	22	50	c110		2117
1988	c175	x	x	c570	x	x	43		21	x	112		1710
1989	150	3000	225	650	82+	x	x			x			1629
1990	c225	x	60+	x	50+	x	41			950 mixed			1551
1991	x	x	x	x	141	x	41	x	x	x	125	0	1447
1992	c150	x	x	x	x	x	45	x	23	108 mixed	140	0	1462
1993	140	x	270	1472 mixed	60	6850 mixed	47	x	15	196 mixed	190	0	2059
1994	230	2385	130	1149	45	4977	38	1615	16	108	210	0	2122
1995	x	x	230 mixed	1848 mixed	6 mixed	x	49	x	12	141	280	0	2554
1996	240	x	140	1401	11	x	54	x	18	196	195+	0	2994	5249
1997	c 268	x	90	1289	20	x	52	x	21	148	269		2856	4,745+
1998	x	x	c60 mixed	1540	x	x	50	x	15-20	x	x	0	2607	4,212+
1999	x	1146	132	1399	7	x	50	x	11	242	182	0	3115	6,284+
2000	210	x	36	1716	3	x	62	x	22	231	327	0	2952	5,559+
2001	x	x	117	840	2	x	52	x	21+	395	227	0	2845	4,499+
2002	87	823	82	1296	2	3580	48	621	18	371	225	1	2367	9521
2003	>50	x	32	900	0	x	46	x	17	413	254	0	2559	4,271+
2004	169	x	38	1035	0	x	c30	x	c12	313	c189	0	2428	4,214+
2005	x	x	27	957	1	x	38	x	8	319	180	0	2094	3624+
2006	76	x	51	917	0	x	38	x	12	257	152	0	2851	4354+
2007	x	x	x	x	0	x	c46	x	5-6	x	c94	0	2854	2999+
2008	x	x	x	x		x	c51	x	c8	x	c202	0	c2962	3223+
2009	x	x	x	x		x	c50	c650	8	205	259	0	x	967+
2010		x	x	x		c3700 AOT	35	x	25	x	134	0	3215	7,109+
2011	0	x	x	x		x	44	x	8	x	222	0	x	274+
2012	x	x	x	x		x	23	x	12	x	c246	0	3281	3,562+
2013	x	x	x	891+	9	x	50	x	12	233	c260	0	x	1446+
2014	c71+	c1500	x	743		x	c55	x	c15	218	c288	0	4200	7,090+
2015	x	c1,030	x	897		x	c69	c500	26	283	c288	0	x	3093+
2016	x	1187	90	1127		2504	47	633	18	479	281	0	3799	10,165+
2017	x	x	61	937		x	c31	x	22	398	c331	0	x	1780+
2018	74	1092	87	1177		x	24	x	18	210+	c255	0	3398	6335+
2019	x	x	56	1059		x	52	577+	12	c357	256	0	x	2369+
2020	x	x	x	x		x	x	x	x	x	x	0	x	x
2021	x	x	57	1170		x	x	x	18	217	101	0	x	1,563+
2022	x	687	36	1238		x	47	x	21	208	140	0	5168	7545+
2023	70	523	20	884		x	37	498	19	252	36	0	x	2339
2024	63+	439	27	1061		x	38	370	17	237	159	0	3009	5420+
2025	76	441	11	1156		x	36	564	14	c198	170	0	x	2666+

AOB / AON / AOS / AOT = Apparently Occupied Burrows / Nests / Sites / Territories; IND = Individual birds
s = sites; b = birds; x = breeding but not counted; + = minimum count; c = circa; 0 = none breeding;

blank = no information available
mixed = two species (eg Herring and LBB gulls) counted together