Remote and wild places on the Shetland Islands
The Shetland Islands are a collection of islands located just under 300 miles north of the Scottish mainland. They are closer to Bergen in Norway than London with a culture and landscape providing a beautiful fusion of their past history with the current.
The sub-arctic archipelago is composed of over 100 islands and has the most diverse and unique wildlife in the whole of the United Kingdom making it the perfect location for wildlife photography. Over a million sea birds make the cliffs their home in the summer months, drawn by the abundant fishing and relatively human-free landscape. The islands are also home to the highest density of otters in Europe which can be seen all along the coastline.
As well as amazing wildlife, the Shetland landscape is rugged and wild with a harsh beauty. Winter storms batter the coastline while the summer months bring calm days with sun-soaked meadows and golden sandy beaches.
6 Wildlife Locations in the Shetland Islands
Allow at least a week to explore these islands. The weather can be changeable so having a plan ‘B’ option each day means that you can make the most of the weather conditions. As well as the wildlife, Shetland has a long history and time must be made to explore the ancient broch’s and more modern lighthouses.
Unst
Unst is the most northerly of the Shetland Islands and is the best place to find bonxies. At the northern point of the island is Hermaness National Nature Reserve. A path leads across open moorland where the bonxies nest during the summer months. At the end of the trail, the sheer cliffs are a dramatic end to the island. The sea cliffs have a large gannet colony and puffins nest in burrows along the cliff edge. Bonxies will be patrolling ready to take anything they can pilfer.
Just offshore is Muckle Flugga Lighthouse, the most northerly lighthouse in the UK. Beyond this is just one more rock, the last piece of the UK. This is a stunning photography location at sunset although care should be taken in windy conditions as it is extremely exposed.
Yell
Yell is a good place to look for otters. The best place to start looking is around the ferry terminals and small harbours. Look for broken shells on the shoreline and stones marked with spraint (otter poo). They will often follow fresh water to the sea so looking for their trails makes finding them easier. When driving along the coast look for unexpected ripples in the water surface. You can often see them dive to catch food and then swim to the shore to eat their catch. They can be easily spooked so good fieldcraft is essential. If you aren’t sure what you are looking for then it is best to find a local guide to take you to find them.
Yell also has black guillemot and arctic tern colonies that are tucked away and quiet making for a pleasant encounter and easier photography.
Fetlar
Fetlar feels more remote than the other islands. It has a long history of farming and is more fertile than other islands which can be seen in its less rugged appearance and its local name the “Garden of Shetland”. Loch Funzie in the north of the island is a small RSPB reserve and is home to red-throated divers (Gavia stellata) and red-necked phalaropes (Phalaropus lobatus).
In the winter months goldeneyes, tufted ducks, wigeons, teals and whooper swans make the island their home, joining the eider ducks and starlings in their island home.
Noss
Noss is an uninhabited island which is a National Nature Reserve. It has large puffin, guillemot, fulmar and gannet colonies that nest on the ledges of the sandstone cliffs. It is estimated that over 60000 pairs of birds nest on the cliffs each summer.
Boat trips give a different perspective of the gannet colony and these leave from Lerwick. They take you out past the island of Bressay to the cliffs where it is possible to see the gannets diving, a spectacular sight.
Mainland
Mainland is the main island of the Shetland Islands and includes the main town of Lerwick and the airport at Sumburgh. Just a short distance from the airport is Sumburgh Head Lighthouse. This is one of the best places to see puffins. They nest in the cliffs around the lighthouse and a view platform to the south of the lighthouse makes viewing easier. Fulmars can be seen riding the thermals and keep your eyes open for the black and brown rabbits that live on the cliffs.
Mainland has some stunning landscape photography locations including Esha Ness with the rugged cliffs and lighthouse. St Ninian’s Isle is fantastic for photography of its 500m sandy tombolo that links the island to the mainland. Keep an eye out for the Shetland ponies who keep watch over the walls of their fields across the islands.
Fair Isle
Fair Isle is the most remote of the Shetland Islands and is 24 miles south of Shetland Mainland. Since 1954 the island has been owned by the National Trust for Scotland and is home to 60 people. It has the highest number of bird species in one area in the whole of the UK with over 388 identified and is a treasure trove of sightings for those who are keen bird watchers. It is home to the rare Fair Isle wren (Troglodytes troglodytes fridariensis) that is only found on this isolated island.
Given its exposed position in the North Atlantic, it is often the stopping point for unusual migrating birds, so it is difficult to say exactly what you will see on the islands, but puffins, fulmars, and storm petrels are some of the common visitors.
Photography in the Shetland Islands
With its remote location and extreme northern latitude, Shetland’s rugged landscapes present unique photographic opportunities shaped by dramatic weather shifts. Frequent winter storms unleash crashing waves and moody skies, juxtaposing the islands’ craggy cliffs and windswept beaches.
Summer months offer long stretches of ethereal twilight, known locally as the simmer dim. Under the midnight sun, golden light bathes the meadows and lochs.
Clear winter nights reveal the otherworldly hues of the Aurora Borealis dancing across the horizon. Braving the mercurial weather, landscape photographers can capture Shetland’s mystical qualities—where the northern lights, simmer dim, and forceful elements collide to create an ancient realm of muted tones and ever-changing vistas.
The whole area has stunning dark skies so a wide-angle lens will also be useful for star photography. Adding a tripod and remote shutter release to your bag will mean the option is there. At the same time, a polarising filter and an ND filter will give you plenty of landscape options.
Spare batteries and lots of memory are useful to allow you to stay out all day. Given the weather conditions in Shetland, a dry bag to store personal items and a sturdy camera bag with a waterproof cover is essential. You will also need to consider a waterproof cover for your lens and camera body and lens cloth.
If you are travelling to Shetland by plane, you will need to consider the size of your camera bag as the planes are compact with very limited overhead space or footroom.
How to get to shetland
Shetland can be reached from mainland Scotland by plane and ferry.
The Northlink ferry runs from Aberdeen daily and arrives into Holmsgarth in Lerwick which is just a short walk from the town centre. The ferry is an overnight journey with a late-night stop in Orkney.
It is also possible to fly to Shetland with Loganair. The flights leave from a number of Scottish airports and fly into the small airport at Sumburgh. This is about 45 minutes south of Lerwick so either a hire car, taxi or bus timetable is needed to plan your journey on from the airport.
Getting around Shetland
Shetland has good roads around most of the islands and the roads are empty. It is easy driving and having a car makes exploring possible. there is a bus service but it is limited and will make photography limited and difficult to organise. It is possible to hire a car when you arrive if you do decide to fly or take the ferry as a foot passenger.
The islands are served by a small ro-ro ferry that runs on a regular schedule. The times can be seen here. It is possible to buy multi-use tickets if you will be doing a lot of crossings or just pay once you are on the ferry.
Getting to Fair Isle is a little more complicated. the crossing can be made on the Good Shepherd IV from Grutness near Sumburgh airport or by taking a flight from Tingwall airport. If you are going to Fair Isle then you will need to be flexible with your dates to accommodate any weather.
