Explore the wonderfully atmospheric, uninhabited Island of Mousa, home to seabirds and waders including storm petrels
Absorb the remarkable history of Shetland, from Neolithic settlements to Viking remains
Venture to the Island of Unst to visit the Keen of Hamar Nature Reserve with its otherworldly appearance and rare plantlife
“Peter's knowledge is staggering and he shared it so generously with us all”
- ACE customer on a previous Shetland Islands tour led by Peter Exley
The Shetland Islands are like no other place in Britain, featuring landscapes carved by their sub-Arctic location and thousands of years of human influence. This remote, wild archipelago is an ideal place to study birds, observe sea mammals and identify wildflowers – the three main themes of our summer tour.
Our tour will cover the full length of Shetland, from Sumburgh Head in the south where we will look for colourful puffins to the northern Island of Unst. Here we will visit the remote Hermaness Reserve, over 2000 acres of dramatic coastal scenery and wild moorland with thousands of nesting seabirds, including the UK’s largest great skua colony and gannetry. Nearby lies the Keen of Hamar, a unique lunar-like landscape of fractured serpentine rock home to some of Britain’s rarest plants.
We will visit the Island of Mousa by day to see its many seabirds and waders, and again at dusk as storm petrels come ashore. Our tour will also explore the vegetation and geo-morphology of the spectacular sandy causeway – known as a tombolo – that leads to St Ninian’s Isle, famed for the hoard of Pictish treasure uncovered in the ruins of the 12th century church.
We also hope to encounter Shetland’s very early history, including Jarlshof, where the original Stone Age dwellings are topped by Pictish wheelhouses, Viking longhouses and the remains of a 16th century mansion.
We will stay for our first four nights at Glen Orchy House, a friendly and modern establishment based in Shetland’s principal town. Whilst the accommodation is of a relatively basic standard, it is clean, comfortable and ideal for many of our daytime visits as well as being within short walking distance of the Broch of Clickimin, a wonderfully preserved stone-built round house of a type found only in Scotland. We will then transfer to the three-star Brae Hotel, perfectly positioned at the northern end of the mainland. Brae will be our base for our explorations north, to the islands of Yell, Fetlar and Unst.
Storm petrels at dusk
The evening boat trip to view storm petrels is a unique experience and one of the tour’s highlights; it takes place under darker conditions and participants will need to return along a coastal path at night, however torches are provided and the group will be supported throughout by experienced local guides in addition to the Tour Director and Tour Manager. You will also enjoy Shetland’s famous ‘Simmer Dim’, or late-night twilight. Those who wish to remain at the hotel instead, however, are welcome to do so.
Peter Exley
Peter is an ornithologist and conservationist who worked for the RSPB for over 27 years.
This tour will be led by Peter Exley, BSc, an ecologist and ornithologist who has worked for the RSPB. Peter has also held posts with BirdLife International and the Albatross Task Force in South Africa. He has led and managed many ACE tours in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Algarve, New England, Madeira, the Faroes and Shetland.
Travel information
Travel to and from Shetland is not included in the cost of this tour. To ensure maximum enjoyment of the itinerary, we strongly recommend that you plan to arrive in Shetland either before June 22, or in time for a morning departure by coach from Lerwick (if travelling by ferry) or morning airport pick-up (if travelling by air) on June 22. If you would like to arrive the day before the tour starts and spend an additional night at the hotel at your own expense, please mention this to the Sales team upon booking. On the final day (June 29) we recommend booking a midday or afternoon flight to ensure efficient airport transfer arrangements.
8
£2995
SHET-26
