Your adventure begins at 18:00 in the reception of the Sumburgh Hotel, where you will be warmly welcomed by our team. Over a relaxed dinner, we will introduce the week’s program, discuss our key target species, and outline the spectacular locations we will explore. If conditions allow, an optional after-dinner shoot at nearby Sumburgh Head will set the tone for the days ahead.

Overnight: Sumburgh Hotel

We begin the morning at Sumburgh Head Reserve, the first of three dedicated sites for photographing Puffins. Alongside Puffins, expect opportunities to capture Fulmars, Razorbills, and Shags. Later, we travel north to Lerwick and take a short ferry to Bressay, continuing on to the uninhabited Noss National Nature Reserve. Our focus here is on Puffins and Gannets, with access provided by the island wardens. The dramatic eastern cliffs offer unforgettable encounters with these vibrant colonies.

Today, we return to Lerwick for an exhilarating Shetland Seabird Tours charter to witness the Gannet feeding frenzy off Noss. From the water, we enjoy close encounters beneath the towering cliffs, home to over 13,000 breeding pairs of Gannets, alongside Puffins, Common Guillemots, and Kittiwakes.

Our journey then continues to Fetlar, where we settle into our guest house for the next four nights.

For the next three days, we explore Britain’s most northerly island, focusing on two key assignments: seabirds at Hermaness National Nature Reserve and elusive Otters on Unst and Yell.

At Hermaness, we capture one of the UK’s most iconic seabird cities, with dramatic cliffs, sea stacks, and panoramic vistas offering exceptional opportunities for Gannets and Puffins. The reserve also supports a thriving population of Great Skuas (Bonxies), which we will photograph on our approach to the cliffs.

Meanwhile, rotating small groups will work with our guides on dedicated Otter assignments, learning the essential fieldcraft, behavioral insights, and techniques required to photograph these remarkable and secretive mammals.

One of the highlights during this period is a private boat charter exploring Unst’s sea cliffs and the legendary Muckle Flugga Lighthouse. This offers a unique sea-level perspective of the towering colonies and thrilling action opportunities, from Bonxies mobbing Gannets to rafts of Puffins drifting on calm, dark waters beneath the cliffs.

On our final full day, we leave Unst for return shoots at Noss and Sumburgh Head. In the evening over dinner, we enjoy looking back over our week, the places we have been, species we have shot, and images we have taken before saying our goodbyes.

After breakfast, you are transferred from Hotel to the airport and sadly we say our goodbyes here.