30 years of Seabirds & Seals - Noss Boat tours

Shetlanders have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and a make-do-and-mend attitude that has allowed them to thrive and the 18th and 19th centuries saw some of Shetland’s greatest contributions to modern medicine.

In the 18th century, smallpox would tear through communities here, killing up to one third of the population, and one man, John Williamson, made a tremendous contribution to the islands, saving thousands of lives in the process.

John Williamson, better known as Johnnie Notions, was a self-taught man. A seaman and weaver to trade, he had a keen interest in medicine. He lived in the North Mainland at a time when smallpox often ripped through communities, brought in by seamen.

After years of meticulous planning, research, and exploration, we are thrilled to announce the forthcoming release of our travel guide to Shetland. With stunning colour photographs and more than 250 pages brimming with useful information and insider tips, Shetland, Your Essential Travel Guide, is a labour of love, born from a shared dedication to showcasing the islands' natural beauty, intriguing history, and vibrant community life.

The Shetland Isles, a remote and captivating archipelago located in the North Sea, are a hidden gem waiting to be explored. If you're an avid caravanner looking for a unique adventure, taking your caravan to Shetland is a fantastic idea. With stunning landscapes, rich history, and warm hospitality, Shetland offers a one-of-a-kind experience that you'll cherish forever. In this blog post, we'll guide you through the essential tips for taking your caravan to Shetland, including places to pitch, and highlight some must-visit destinations on the islands.

Brydon Thomason is a Fetlar-born Shetland naturalist who has spent decades in Shetland’s landscapes, photographing and observing the incredible wildlife of our islands. Brydon is also the owner of Shetland Nature, who run wildlife holidays and guided tours throughout Shetland, and this latest book showcases his incredible archive of photographs, along with his insights into the seasons which, as they change, bring different wildlife experiences with them.

The book itself is a work of art, featuring 80 species illustrated through 179 images across 286 pages and opening with an incredible double-page spread of a raft of eider ducks, commonly seen throughout the winter months around Shetland waters. The captivating photographs are brought to life with Brydon’s words that take the reader on a journey through Shetland’s seasonal wildlife highlights.

Lying about 20 miles west of Shetland, Foula is one of the UK’s most remote islands, and arguably the most isolated of any island in the UK. With a population of about 35, many thousands of birds, and five square miles to explore, Foula has an ‘edge of the world’ feel and will leave a lasting impression on those who visit.

Sitting alone in the vast, often unforgiving expanse of the North Atlantic, Foula looms from the horizon and is visible on a clear day from most parts of Shetland’s west coast. Its looming silhouette represents the last outpost of the UK, a final frontier. Echoing noisily with the sound of hundreds of thousands of seabirds in summer, and hard to access in winter as its name suggests – the word Foula comes from the Old Norse Fugley, meaning ‘bird island.’

With Hallowe’en upon us, I wanted to take a look at some of the spine-tingling and tragic tales from Lerwick. Last year, I explored Shetland’s haunted places, and this year, I wanted to focus on our capital town, Lerwick. Lerwick grew from the 1600s with Dutch fishermen coming here every summer to begin their summer herring fishery. The first mention of Lerwick came in 1625 when the lawmakers in Scalloway expressed concern about the lawlessness displayed in Lerwick, where smuggling, drinking, theft, assault and prostitution were cited as grounds to raze Lerwick to the ground.

As I write this, we are in the throes of the 14th Shetland Wool Week festival, which sees the arrival of knitters from all over the world in the islands to take part in the week-long celebration of Shetland’s textile heritage.

Wool Week is a hugely popular festival and marks the end of the busy summer season here in Shetland, and with this popularity comes high demand for accommodation, tickets and transport.

This blog is aimed at those planning to visit for Wool Week and how best to do this without too much stress!

A mile offshore from Sandness, accessible several times a week by ferry from West Burrafirth, is Papa Stour, known locally as Papa. The name comes from the Old Norse language, meaning ‘the great island of the priests’. The island is geologically fascinating, formed from volcanic ash and lava, which is a real gift to hikers seeking the drama, allure and breathtaking vistas offered by the incredible coastline.

This fertile and lush island had a population of 382 in 1841, which has declined steadily over the past 40 years. Today, the 15 or so permanent residents no longer have a school or shop, and there are few facilities on the island for visitors beyond the Ferry Waiting Room and church, which is undergoing renovation. Despite this, Papa is an island that calls to be explored, offering endless hours of enjoyment along its rugged coastline. The main settlement centres around the ferry harbour on the fertile east coast of the island at Housa Voe.

Out Skerries, known locally as Da Skerries or just Skerries, are a small low-lying trio of islands – Housay, Bruray and Grunay – that lies 13 miles off Shetland’s east coast, and four miles northeast of Whalsay. The coastline is a patchwork of small rocks and skerries that rise uncertainly from the sea on Shetland’s eastern horizon.

The island is home to around 30 people who are largely dependent on the fishing industry. Bruray and Housay are connected via a road bridge, and Grunay, which offers protection for the harbour, is now uninhabited, although the remains of the lighthouse buildings associated with the dominating Bound Skerry Lighthouse can still be seen across the harbour.

For as long as I can remember we have marked the passing of the longest day; whether that be a midnight walk to the top of a hill to watch the sun set and rise again, eating freshly caught mackerel straight from the sea, or a camping trip in a quiet valley listening to the call of the birds and watching as the mist rolls in over the hills like frosting.

Midsummer is the time around the summer solstice when the days melt into the night and the evenings remain still and light as the earth is bathed in a milky light which never really turns to darkness.

A few weeks ago, we were invited to come and stay at Shetland Glamping’s beautiful new pods at Rerwick. Enjoying incredible sea views across rolling countryside and out to sea, Shetland Glamping is the hottest new accommodation offering in Shetland’s South Mainland. After opening last summer, the guest book in our pod Shalder was already bursting with rave reviews for their luxurious ‘Mega Bunker’ Glamping Pods.

Farewell Fugley Island was written by Alec Crawford and published by the Shetland Times in 2022. Alec, a wreck diver, arrived in Foula in the 1970s and spent six years living and working in the island, salvaging precious wreck material from the remains of the great liner Oceanic that was lost during the First World War.

The book is more a social history account of life on the island in the 1970s than an examination of diving the wreck. Examining a time of significant change on the island, Alec arrived as the last of the island’s cows were sold, and the community shop was set to close. Several young people had left, leaving a question mark over the future viability of this remote island that marks Shetland’s western horizon.

Shorehaven, where we were to spend the weekend, dates back to 1854 when Hermaness Lighthouse was built to aid navigation. Clinging to the hostile slopes of Muckle Flugga, a rocky outcrop off the north coast of Unst, Britain's most northerly lighthouse still shines a guiding light across the water to those at sea – Shorehaven forms part of the story of this iconic lighthouse.

The spectacular ruins of Levenwick Broch, one of around 120 known broch sites in Shetland, has always intrigued me, and I’m ashamed to say that, after driving up and down the A970 hundreds – if not thousands – of times, It’s taken me 35 years to get there.

Throughout Shetland, from January to March, the islands celebrate the festival of Up Helly Aa, with 12 Fire Festival and Up Helly Aa celebrations punctuating the darkness of winter with fiery processions, Viking dress and the world-renowned all-night parties that follow the burning of a Viking longship.

In a few days time, just as we are taking down the Christmas decorations, and boxing them up for another year, Foula, our most westerly island will celebrate Christmas.

In the past, Christmas in Shetland meant something very different; we even held it on a different day. Known as Yule, it was a time of celebration and tradition, much of it stemming from pagan rituals and beliefs.

Today, Foula is one of the last places to celebrate the old calendar dates for Christmas and New Year celebrations, on the 6th and 13th of January.

The Peerie Neuk is a tiny “hut” in Unst and part of the tiny-house movement. This architectural and social movement advocates downsizing living spaces, simplifying interiors and living with less. As someone who resides in a constant state of clutter and chaos, kicking off my boots at the door of The Peerie Neuk was nothing short of cathartic!

Tomorrow is hallowe’en, that time of the year when the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest, and we can expect to experience the most paranormal activity. Shetland had its own unique blend of hallowe'en tradition influenced by Christianity, with its roots firmly placed in old pagan customs.

Puffins are one of the Northern Isles’ best-loved summer visitors who arrive back from winter at sea to nest between April and mid-August. Sumburgh Head is the most accessible place to see them without having a lengthy walk. The nature reserves of Hermaness and Noss are also excellent places to look out for these charismatic little seabirds.

"We never feel like we own it; we are custodians looking after it for the future," Rachael told me as she explained the history and her deep-seated love of the Boatman's House.

The days are changing as the seasons switch. And, like a light that’s shut off, it feels as though the dial has been turned to autumn as summer fades into memory once more. The nights are visibly darker, and the air has changed; there’s a sting in its embrace, and I feel myself turning my collar against it.Yet, despite this change, the daylight is still long enough to make the most of the fine days, and the chill in the wind isn’t enough to leave us lounging by the fir [...]

Symbister Harbour, Whalsay Every great adventure starts with a boat, surely? It certainly feels like that as you dart north, rushing to make the ferry on time, watching the clock anxiously and praying you don't meet a tractor en route.The Whalsay ferry has an altogether different feel to the North Isles ferries; the journey is longer, and booking is strongly recommended if you want to ensure you arrive – and depart – on the ferry you've chosen. It also has a more 'Shetland' f [...]

The beautiful Peerie Bugarth, a gem of a property available for holiday let in Mid Yell I often drive past traditional Shetland crofthouses and wonder what they’re like inside. These are buildings that have fascinated me since I was little. Their simple lines, symmetry, and the way they bed into the landscape almost seamlessly continues to inspire my imagination in the same – perhaps less visually attractive way – that they continue to inspire artists and poets to commi [...]

The Old Manse Holiday home is the white house in the centre, beside the former Clousta church.“The winding voes and lakes of Clousetter, are wildly disordered by the irregular encroachments of the hills among which they run. Nature, from mere rocks and water, without the assistance of a single tree, has presented ceaseless varieties of interesting scenery.” ~ Samuel Hibbert (1818)Clousta is an ‘old place’ – it has that sense, as if you’ve suddenly stumbled off the map. It’s a beaut [...]

Impressive sights from the Gannet colony at Noss with Seabirds & Seals If you're looking to experience some of Shetland's incredible wildlife, you definitely need to add a trip to Noss to your list of things to see and do in Shetland. Joining Seabirds & Seals recently, I was able to 'act the tourist' for a morning and witness the incredible gannet colonies of Noss. ​ The experience is an astonishing spectacle – the natural world's equivalent of a teeming seabird a [...]

I know what it's like when planning for a holiday – so many questions and no one place where you can find the much sought after answers. I spend a lot of time answering questions online, whether on Instagram or my Patreon page. A lot of the time, it's the same questions that come up time and time again.I've done several podcasts on my Patreon page that cover many of the frequently asked questions in depth (you can see the topics covered here). The following are some of the general [...]

St Ninian's Isle, Shetland in her spring colours Sunday marks the first day of spring, and to mark this calendar milestone, I’ve been thinking about what makes spring such an exciting time of year and why you should consider a springtime break to Shetland.As the days begin to lengthen and the dark grip of winter is slowly released, shadows shorten as the sun rises higher in our northern skies, and there’s real optimism in the air. There’s an urgency to the days as peopl [...]

Ah, what a read, what a joy – Aye Someane Deid, Aye Someane Boarn – is the literary equivalent of a big bosie [hug] with an old and trusted friend. After the rush of Christmas, I read this book in the long month of January and what a tonic Barbara’s words were. She left me laughing, smiling, and longing for more.There are many fantastic books published in Shetland and, with Scotland's Year of Stories kicking off, I thought it was a good opportunity to review Barbara Fr [...]

Shifting light in winter at Bressay Lighthouse If I had a penny for every time I was asked about winter in Shetland, I’d be a millionaire – and then some – and there are many reasons to visit, but you need to ask yourself first ‘what do I want from a visit’. If the answer is puffins, light, activities, and long hikes with a picnic, you’ll likely want to visit in summer when the days are long, and the hills are dry enough to walk anywhere. If you&r [...]