WORLD APART
Shetland has a landscape, wildlife and history all of its very own, despite being a short trip from mainland
THERE’S a different world waiting for you in Shetland – a world where beautiful and dramatic ice-carved landscapes are studded with historic treasures dating back over 6,000 years. 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 seabirds crowding jagged cliffs in noisy colonies.
More than 100 islands comprise the Shetland group and each has its very own wildlife speciality.
And with 19 hours of midsummer daylight, now is the best time to experience it for yourself.
Amazingly, nowhere in Shetland is more than three miles from the sea and the spectacular cliffs are a metropolis for more than a million seabirds, including the ever popular puffins (or ‘tammie norries’ as they’re known locally).
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 visitor attraction provides an interactive experience and first class facilities for the whole family. You can explore the history and natural heritage of Sumburgh Head from early geological beginnings and Iron Age settlement, 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 sea and dive-bombing great skuas on the moorland.
If you are feeling adventurous, head to the most northerly island, Unst. Overlooking Muckle Flugga, Britain’s 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 come to nest each year on the sea-cliffs, offshore arches and rocky stacks.
Seal, porpoise and dolphin sightings 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, taking place from July 2-9. While you are in Shetland, don’t miss the wealth of archaeology on offer. Travellers have been coming to these lands since Neolithic times and the evidence is everywhere to be seen. The astonishingly intact Broch of Mousa is more than 2,000 years old, and a midnight trip by boat to see the nesting storm petrels here is an experience you’re unlikely to forget.
The prehistoric and Norse settlement of Jarlshof provides a record of history going back 5,000 years, from the late Bronze Age right through to the Middle Ages, with Viking influence evident throughout the isles.
This rich heritage of the islands also manifests itself in a vibrant array of arts, crafts and music, from world famous Fair Isle knitwear, to beautiful handcrafted jewellery. Don’t miss Shetland’s Craft Trail or an informal fiddling session at one of Lerwick’s bars.
You can travel to Shetland from Aberdeen with NorthLink Ferries or by air from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness with FlyBe.