Our first priority upon 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 north to Shetland. We spent a couple to days travelling up to Scrabster, via the Cairngorms and Caithness, then four nights on Orkney,. before the night boat across 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
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
