There is another kind of Shetland, away from the sea cliffs, the wheeling birds, and the windswept ocean.

(28th May – 7th June, 2019)

There are heather moorlands, deeply scoured by peat diggings. There are the sheltered bays, with rocky shores and sandy beaches. There are the numerous inland lochs, important for a range of waterbirds. And there’s Lerwick, with its historic grey-stone buildings, alongside the city’s busy docks.

Here’s a visitors’ view of Shetland … albeit with a strong bias toward the natural world. And for those who’ve watched the Shetland TV series … Jimmy Perez’s house!

Landscapes

As you can see, Paul takes the landscape shots (I’m often in the way). And you can also get a sense of the weather … ‘atmospheric’ for the most part, with one sunny day.

Wondering exactly where these place are?

Here’s a map highlighting all the locations mentioned above, as well as some from our other Shetland blog posts.

Click/tap the map to see the whole thing, including Fair Isle way to the south.

More nature

We didn't spend the entire 10 days watching puffins. There were other birds to see, and more than a few flowers too. Virtually no insects though. We were a little early for the famous Scottish midges (thankfully), and the bees just began to appear on our final day.

And finally, just a few more seabirds

Tales from European travels, 2019: Germany, Stockholm, Shetland Islands