Our first priority on retirement was to return to the northern isles. We had spent a couple of weeks on Orkney in 2024 and were eager to return, but this time sail further north to Shetland. We spent a couple to days travelling up to Scrabster, via the Cairngorms and Caithness, then four nights on Orkney, before taking the night boat to Lerwick. Once on Shetland, we travelled first up to the northernmost islands of Yell, Unst and Fetlar, in particular to witness the amazing spectacle that is Hermaness National Nature Reserve, where 60,000 gannets are crowded onto a couple of miles of cliff face. Once back on the (Shetland) mainland, we headed out to the "wild west" to Eshaness, Easter Skald and Sandness, and the islands of East and West Burra. Our last week was spent in the south, including Sumburgh, St Nina's Isle, and the islands of Mousa and Noss.
The journey north
Loch Garten Kindergarten - female goosander and chicks - Loch Garten
Sanderling - Loch Garten
Loch Garten
Sanderling - Loch Garten
Goldeneye - Loch Garten
Approaching storm - Caithness
Duncansby Sea Stacks - Caithness
Stopover in Orkney
Arriving in Stromenss, Orkney
One of my favourite places - Yesnaby, Orkney
Fulmar on the wing, Yesnaby, Orkney
Fulmar on the nest, Yesnaby, Orkney
Oystercatchers, Yesnaby, Orkney
Brough of Birsay, Orkney
Coming home - Guillemot, Brough of Birsay, Orkney
Razorbill, Brough of Birsay, Orkney
Puffin, Brough of Birsay, Orkney
Fulmar, Brough of Birsay, Orkney
Puffins, Brough of Birsay, Orkney
Long-eared owl, Northside, Orkney
Long-eared owl, Northside, Orkney
Long-eared owl, Northside, Orkney
Arriving in Lerwick
Kirkabister Lighthouse - Bressay
Approaching Lerwick - Mainland
Lerwick - Mainland
Welcome to Lingness - Mainland
The northern islands - Yell, Unst and Fetlar
Humanness NNR and Muckle Flugga - Unst
How many gannets - Hermaness NNR, Unst
Reaffirming pair bonds - Hermaness NNR, Unst
Squabbling over nesting material - Hermaness NNR, Unst
Northern gannet - Hermaness NNR, Unst
Northern gannets - Hermaness NNR, Unst
Northern gannets - Hermaness NNR, Unst
A puffin- Hermaness NNR, Unst
Not a puffin (and a couple of bones - Hermaness NNR, Unst
UK's most northern point, Muckle Flugga and Outstack - Hermaness NNR, Unst
One of UK's rarest - Red-necked phalarope, Hermaness NNR, Unst
Dogfight at dawn - Artic skua and artic tern, Haroldswick, Unst
Red-throated diver - Haroldswick, Unst
Bickering fulmars - Sand Wick, Unst
Wimbrell - Sand Wick, Unst
The Snap - Fonzie Ness, Fetlar
Incoming bonnie - Fonzie Ness, Fetlar
Not a Shetland pony - Fetlar
Shetland Wren - Fetlar
Dunlin - Burra Ness, Yell
Red-throated diver - Burra Ness, Yell
Puffin - Burravoe - Yell
Stormy night - Eshaness, West Mainland
Eshaness Lighthouse - Eshaness, West Mainland
The morning after the storm - Eshaness, West Mainland
The Drinking Horse - Dore Holm, Eshaness
Collafirth Harbour - North Roe, Mainland
Oystercatcher - North Roe, Mainland
Common Tern - Brae Harbour, Mainland
Wick of Sandsayre - Leebitten, Mainland
Mousa Broch - Mousa
Incoming puffin - Sumburgh, Mainland
Puffin - Sumburgh, Mainland
Puffin - Sumburgh, Mainland
Male wheatear - Sumburgh, Mainland
Arctic skua and fulmar - Sumburgh, Mainland
Late afternoon puffins - Sumburgh, Mainland
Puffin portrait - Sumburgh, Mainland
X-wing fulmar - Pool of Vyrkie
Arctic tern - Mine Beach, West Burra
Cuppa - Bridgend Outdoor Centre, West Burra
Preening gannet - Isle of Noss NNR
Gannet - Isle of Noss NNR
Looking across to Bard Head - Isle of Noss NNR
Bonnie (Great skua) - Isle of Noss NNR
Arctic tern - Noss Sound, Bressay/Noss
Arctic tern - Noss Sound, Bressay/Noss
Common tern - Lerwick Harbour
Ocean wanderer - Fulmar accompanying MV Hjaltland at midnight
