Living on the edge
Towering cliffs, the cry of seabirds and the ancient landscape that is Shetland
THERE’S a different world waiting for you in Shetland, a world where wildlife is truly free, where otters and seals play in quiet coves and where the air is full of the sound of wild birds, crowding the jagged cliffs in huge and noisy colonies.
The beautiful and dramatic ice-carved landscape is studded with treasures of history that go back over 6,000 years.
More than 100 islands comprise the Shetland group and each has its own wildlife speciality.
With 19 hours of midsummer daylight, now is the best time to experience it for yourself.
Nowhere in Shetland is more than three miles from the sea and the spectacular cliffs are a metropolis to more than a million seabirds, including the ever popular puffins, or ‘tammie norries’ as they are locally known.
They share the sea and the sky with fulmars, gannets, great skuas (known as bonxies), storm petrels, guillemots, kittiwakes, razorbills, cormorants, Arctic terns and many others.
A great place to see puffins on the cliffs is at Sumburgh Head Lighthouse Visitor Centre and Nature Reserve. This world- class visitor attraction provides an interactive experience and top facilities for the whole family.
You can explore the history and natural heritage of Sumburgh Head from early geological beginnings and Iron Age settlers to lighthouse keepers, whales, puffins and much more.
You could also take a short boat trip to the Isle of Noss, where thousands of seabirds and wonderful scenery guarantee a memorable experience.
Look out for seals in the surrounding seas and dive-bombing great skuas in the moorland interior.
If you are feeling adventurous, head to the most northerly island, Unst. Overlooking Muckle Flugga, Britain’s second most northerly point, Hermaness Nature Reserve provides a wonderful haven for more than 100,000 seabirds.
Some 16,000 pairs of gannets and more than 50,000 puffins nest each year on the dramatic seacliffs, offshore arches and stacks. Seal, porpoise and dolphin sight- ings are also common and lucky visitors will see otters and even orca. Wildlife watching trips are easily arranged with knowledgeable guides who know the best places to visit. And don’t miss the Shetland Nature Festival from July 4.
While you are in Shetland, don’t forget to explore the wealth of archaeology on offer. Travellers have been coming to these lands since Neolithic times and the evidence of that can be seen throughout the islands.
The Broch of Mousa is more than 2,000 years old and astonishingly intact. A midnight trip by boat to see the nesting storm petrels is an experience you are unlikely to forget.
The prehistoric and Norse settlement of Jarlshof provides a record of human history going back 5,000 years, from the late Bronze Age to the Middle Ages, with Viking influence evident everywhere.
This rich heritage of the islands also manifests itself in a vibrant array of arts, crafts and music, from Fair Isle knitwear to beautiful handcrafted jewellery. Don’t miss Shetland’s Craft Trail or an i nformal fiddling session i n one of Lerwick’s bars.
You can travel to Shetland by boat from Aberdeen with NorthLink Ferries or by air from across the UK with FlyBe.
visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/Shetland