Atlantic Puffin heading out to sea against the backdrop of the spectacular Noss cliffs. An amazing trip with glass-calm seas and thousands of seabirds enjoyed by our 'Ultimate Shetland' group. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #Birds #UKWildlife

Summer solstice at Mousa Broch as we awaited the arrival of Storm Petrels just before midnight in the 'Simmer Dim' light. A truly magical evening experienced by our 'Ultimate Shetland' group and thanks to our friends and associates at The Mousa Boat. #SummerSolstice #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife

ORCAS! What a way to round off our fifth consecutive 'Ultimate Shetland' tour! Fabulous views for guests and guides of four of '27s' pod off the south Mainland yesterday evening. I'm not sure we could have written the script any better. #MarineMammals #UKWildlife 📸 by @hughharrop.bsky.social

An incredible day for our @shetlandwildlife.bsky.social 'Ultimate Shetland' group which started off with a wonderful pod of Orcas in Quendale Bay just after breakfast and ended with these Risso's Dolphins out in the west Mainland this afternoon. #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

Back in January, I found the Mountain Hares hunkered down against the wind, wrapped in their white winter coats with @shetlandwildlife.bsky.social Returning in spring, a real was amazing to see the contrast in both the land and hares. A real joy to watch #UKWildlife #UKMammals #shetland #scotland

Super views of this Red-necked Phalarope at Loch of Funzie, Fetlar, Shetland today for our 'Ultimate Shetland' group. Pic by guide Mick.

Lesser Twayblade - one of the most difficult orchids to find in Shetland. It is tiny at around 5-10cm tall and grows inconspicuously wherever heather and sphagnum moss grow together. A real get-down-on-your-hands-and-knees job! Super pic by tour participant Veronica Sweeney. #wildflowers #ukwildlife

It has been an amazing 24 hours for our third Ultimate Shetland group of the season with fabulous views of Red-necked Phalarope (pictured), a night trip to see Storm Petrels on Mousa and a very active Bottlenose Dolphin - still rare in Shetland inshore waters. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #UKWildlife

Our 'Ultimate Shetland' group have enjoyed fabulous views of several Mountain Hares this week. This beautiful image is from our day out 'west' on Tuesday and was taken by tour participant Elliott Neo. #UKWildlife #UKMammals

Some of the ornithological highlights from our first 'Ultimate Shetland' tour of the season last week - a migrant trio of Bluethroat, Pectoral Sandpiper and Red-backed Shrike. Pics by @hughharrop.bsky.social #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #Birds #UKWildlife

Fabulous to see our first Minke Whales of the season this weekend with at least three individuals around the Sumburgh Head area today. Pic by SW guide @hughharrop.bsky.social

🐦‍⬛ My trip to Mull and nearby islands comes to an end, with a satisfying 99 (🎈) bird species seen/heard over six days, the highlight for me being the obliging Corncrake on Lunga. Excellent organisation by @shetlandwildlife.bsky.social and our guide Dave Fairhurst. My year list is boosted to 181. 🙂

Oysterplant: very rare across coastal northern Britain and found at only a handful of sites here in Shetland. Always a highlight for our groups in spring and summer and although Gaelic isn't the mother tongue here, we love the Gaelic name Tiodhlac na mara - gift of the sea. #wildflowers #ukwildlife

What a week! Highlights: Shetland's seventh-ever Tengmalm's Owl, a day following Orcas, Otters, Mountain Hares, lots of Common & Grey Seals, King Eider, Eurasian White-fronted Geese, Velvet Scoter, Slavonian Grebes, Peregrine & several Merlins. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #UKWildlife

One place has become available on our flagship Ultimate Shetland week running from 23 - 30 May 2026. Details are at www.shetlandwildlife.co.uk/holidays/wil... and a few highlights from previous trips are below ⬇️ #UKbirding #UKWildlife #Birds #MarineLife #MarineMammals #Wildflowers #bloomscrolling

Another photo from our trip to Shetland with Shetland Wildlife. Our guide was the excellent Dave Fairhurst. We had great views of mountain hares, white against the landscape. #scotland #shetland #hare

Tuesday night at Lerwick, Shetland 2026 Up Helly Aa 🔥 as enjoyed by our two groups. Thanks to everyone who makes this event so spectacular each and every year! #Shetland #uphellyaa

We went to Shetland the last few days with Shetland Wildlife - three days birdwatching then Up Helly Aa. Next up are the Jarl Squads #scotland #shetland #uphellyaa

We went to Shetland the last few days with Shetland Wildlife - three days birdwatching then Up Helly Aa. Let’s start with the Fire! #scotland #shetland #uphellyaa

No. 1 in our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen by guests on our 2025 tours: Orcas. We enjoyed several incredible encounters this year including this July day when we followed the '65s' pod from land enjoying views down to just a few metres! #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

No. 2 in our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen in 2025: an incredible nursery pod of at least 120 Bottlenose Dolphins in Vidlin Voe in early November. Only the fourth-ever documented record for Shetland inshore waters. A magical day! #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

No. 3 in our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen on our 2025 tours was this male Siberian Thrush which, with patience, afforded absolutely brilliant views for both of our Autumn birding groups in early October. Stunning! #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #UKWildlife #Birds

No. 4 in our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen on our 2025 tours was this stunning Grey Phalarope in summer plumage at Loch of Spiggie in early June. No wonder why the rest of the world calls them Red Phalaropes! #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #UKWildlife

No. 5 in our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen on our 2025 tours - this nursery pod of Pilot Whales in Mousa Sound. Some of the calves were tiny and looked just a few weeks - if not days - old. Footage by @hughharrop.bsky.social #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

No. 6 in our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen in 2025 were several encounters with Humpbacks including a MATCH to an individual first documented off the Azores in 2016, off Svalbard in 2017 and then by us here in Shetland in March 2025. Amazing! #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

No. 7 in our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen on our 2025 tours were several sightings of 'Northern' Long-tailed Tits in Autumn. Watching these flying lollipops was a privilege and we are not sure there is a word that can justify their beauty! #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #UKWildlife

No. 8 in our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen on our 2025 tours was the superpod of White-beaked Dolphins off the coast of Shetland - the 6th species of cetacean we saw that week! Aerial footage by @hughharrop.bsky.social #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

No. 9 in our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen on our 2025 tours - Dotterels. We enjoyed lovely views of these two migrants at Stenness in May. Very small numbers pass through Shetland every spring so it was an absolute joy to watch this pair. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #Birds #UKWildlife

In the run up to 2026 we'll feature our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen on our 2025 Shetland tours. To kick off, here's No.10 - a magnificent summer plumaged Red-necked Grebe at Wadbister. Far from annual here with most Shetland records occurring November - March. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding

How was your spring and summer? Read about ours here in Shetland at shetlandwildlife.co.uk/news.htm #MarineMammals #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #UKWildlife #MarineLife #CetaceansUK

🐦‍⬛ It's been an enthralling week on Shetland (photo is of Esha Ness) thanks to Shetland Wildlife and our excellent guide Dave Fairhurst. I managed 96 bird species, two of them 'lifers' (Common Rosefinch, Siberian Thrush), and my year list is up to 203. My personal highlight was the young Bluethroat.

Snowball! Our Autumn birding group enjoyed lovely views of this beautiful Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll at Vaylie, Unst yesterday. Thanks to our good friend Rich Andrews @mrbristolian.bsky.social for the pic. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #Birds #UKWildlife

It's not just the weather Gods shining on us at the moment - the Orca Gods are too! An amazing morning for our @shetlandwildlife.bsky.social 'Walk Shetland' group as we watched the '65s' pod close inshore off Gulberwick and Easter Quarff 🖤🤍 #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

A few pics from our 5 - 12 July 2025 'Ultimate Shetland' tour with Orcas as one of the highlights. www.shetlandwildlife.co.uk/holidays/wil... #birdingscotland #ukbirding #wildflowers #ukwildlife #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #Shetland

Happy smiling faces for David's 'Ultimate Shetland' group yesterday with fabulous views of the '65s' Orcas close inshore off the east Mainland of Shetland. Here's bull 'Busta' passing us at Kirkabister. 🖤🤍 📷 @hughharrop.bsky.social #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK

A few pics from our 21 - 28 June 2025 'Ultimate Shetland' tour. www.shetlandwildlife.co.uk/holidays/wil... #birdingscotland #ukbirding #wildflowers #ukwildlife

Our 'Ultimate Shetland' group enjoyed a fabulous encounter with Orcas yesterday in the east Mainland of Shetland. The grouping comprised the '65s' (including the huge bull 'Busta') and three of the 27s pod. Enjoy these excellent pics by Hannah Loughnane. 🖤🤍 #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK

Our two 'Ultimate Shetland' groups enjoyed the Summer Solstice on Mousa watching and listening to hundreds of Storm Petrels returning ashore to the Iron Age Broch at 'dusk'. Have a listen! Video by tour participant David Sowdon. #birdingscotland #ukbirding #ukwildlife

A few pics from our 14 - 21 June 2025 'Ultimate Shetland' tour. www.shetlandwildlife.co.uk/holidays/wil... #birdingscotland #ukbirding #wildflowers #ukmammals #ukwildlife

A few pics from our 7 - 14 June 2025 'Ultimate Shetland' tour. www.shetlandwildlife.co.uk/holidays/wil... #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #Birds #MarineMammals

A few pics from our 7 - 14 June 2025 'Ultimate Shetland' tour. www.shetlandwildlife.co.uk/holidays/wil... #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #Birds #MarineMammals

Lovely displays of Edmonston's Chickweed (aka Shetland Mouse-ear) on the serpentine fellfield at Keen of Hamar last week for our @shetlandwildlife.bsky.social Ultimate Shetland group.This Cerastium is endemic to the island of Unst and found nowhere else in the World. A must-see! #wildflowers

David and our Ultimate Shetland group found this migrant Honey Buzzard at Eshaness on Thursday. At one stage it was mobbed by an Arctic Skua! The species is a rare visitor to our shores with only a handful of records every year. Pics by tour participant Jeff Smith. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #Birds

A few pics from our 31 May - 7 June 2025 'Ultimate Shetland' tour. www.shetlandwildlife.co.uk/holidays/wil...

A few pics from our 24 - 31 May 2025 'Ultimate Shetland' tour. shetlandwildlife.co.uk/holidays/wil... #Birds #Shetland #Scotland #Wildlife

Yesterday we chartered The Mousa Boat and headed to Noss with our Ultimate Shetland group. We enjoyed calm seas and lovely weather for our Shetland seabird tour aboard the spacious and stable 'Solan IV' for close up views of 1000s of birds and amazing geology. What a day! ☀️⛴️ #BirdingScotland #Birds

Oysterplant photographed in the north Mainland last week on our Ultimate Shetland tour by Hugh. This gorgeous maritime perennial is now restricted to just a handful of coastal sites in Shetland. The stunning flowers are pink in bud and change to a lovely blue as they open. #wildflowers

This week we are enjoying the wildlife and scenery of #Mull and #Iona. The days have flown by and thus far we've seen White-tailed and Golden Eagles, 100s of Puffins, Bottle nosed Dolphins, Otters, Harbour Porpoise, Hen Harriers, Short-eared Owls, Wood Warblers, Redstarts and spectacular weather.

We just ❤️ this image of an Otter photographed on one of our Shetland tours by participant Charis Sinclair.

A few pics from our Winter Wildlife & Up Helly Aa trip last week. Highlights included Bufflehead, Ross’s Goose, American Coot, American Wigeon, Hen Harrier, Iceland & Glaucous Gulls, Otters & several Mountain Hares. Pics 🔽 by bsky.app/profile/hugh... #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #Birds