Exploring Shetland's Wildlife, Scotland

The Shetland archipelago consists of about 100 islands which lie to the north-east of Orkney and 280 km from the Faroes. These remote and strikingly beautiful islands between the Atlantic and the North Sea are one of our most exciting British wildlife destinations, and in midsummer offer a feast of special breeding birds. Only 15 of the islands are inhabited and the capital, Lerwick, is located on the largest island, known as ‘Mainland’.

We start the holiday by taking the ferry from Aberdeen to Lerwick, a trip which itself offers some exciting sea-watching for cetaceans and seabirds. We then head south to Sumburgh for the first half of our stay. Among the breeding species we hope to see will be Red-throated Diver, Golden Plover,Arctic Skuas, Kittiwake, Arctic Tern, Razorbill,  Dunlin, Great and Eider, Fulmar, Gannet, Storm Petrel, Guillemot, Puffin, Black Guillemot, Rock Dove and Twite. Offshore, Grey and Common Seals and Otters are among the mammals we’ll be hoping to see. Our interest is not confined to wildlife, with intriguing historical sites such as Jarlshof and the Great Broch of Mousa. Weather permitting, we may visit the latter after dark to experience Storm-petrels arriving at their nesting burrows in the Broch walls.

Next we transfer to the Island of Unst, the most northerly inhabited isle in Great Britain, for the remainder of our stay. Boasting deep blue sea, cliffs and unspoilt beaches Unst is home to Red-throated Diver and Common Scoter on its lochans, and the botanical curiosity Cerastium nigrescens (Shetland Mouse-ear Chickweed), while on the neighbouring island of Fetlar we’ll search for such breeding specialities as Whimbrel and Red-necked Phalarope.

Shetland is a magical place and the experience of simply being in this remote, northerly outreach of the British Isles, among its rugged landscapes, huge skies and scattered reminders of ancient settlements, is hard to beat!