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DAY 1 Saturday - Seabirds, Selkies
& Storm Petrels
Our first morning together sees us sailing to the seabird cities
of Noss National Nature Reserve. Along the way, we explore the fascinating
coastline of Bressay and weather permitting, we'll visit huge sea
caves and hidden coves. You'll discover what the climate was like
370 million years ago, see traces of ancient glaciers and volcanic
explosions, hear about Vikings, the Press Gang, treasure ships,
smugglers and deserted villages. We also visit Common and Grey Seal
colonies. No promises, but we sometimes see Minke and Killer Whales!
The highlight of the morning will be the sights, sounds and smells
of 20,000 Gannets, 40,000 Guillemots, 5,000 Kittiwakes and hundreds
of Puffins, Razorbills, Shags and Black Guillemots - an experience
that will remain etched in your mind forever! After lunch, we head
for the south Mainland to look for breeding Arctic Skua, Great Skua,
Arctic Tern, Curlew, Red-throated Diver and Whimbrel. Wild flowers
also feature prominently on the agenda. After dinner at Sumburgh,
we drive to Sandwick and make a short sea crossing over to the island
of Mousa. As darkness falls we'll witness the thrilling sight of
hundreds of Storm Petrels returning to their nests in the spectacular
Iron Age broch. We may also be lucky enough to spot an Otter or
a small party of Harbour Porpoise. We overnight at Sumburgh Hotel.
DAY 2 Sunday - The Garden of Shetland
We spend the morning in the crystalline limestone valley of Tingwall
where we hope to observe our first Red-throated Divers, Red-breasted
Mergansers and Britain's only breeding Whooper Swans! Arctic Hare
is also a Tingwall speciality and we would hope to encounter several
individuals in the upper reaches of the valley. We continue through
the central Mainland to Toft to take the ferry to the island of
Yell. We stop to look for Otters and Red-throated Divers. After
lunch, we take another ferry to the bird-rich island of Fetlar.
The prize here will be the handsome Red-necked Phalarope, famous
for its breeding role reversal. Fetlar holds over 90% of the British
breeding population, although the birds' stay on the island is a
brief one - they generally arrive during the third week of May and
are gone by the end of July! We should also see a wide variety of
other breeding birds including Red-throated Diver, Whimbrel, Golden
Plover, Dunlin and if we're lucky, a summering Great Northern Diver.
We'll also search the north shore of the island for Otters. Fetlar's
fertile land produces a dazzling display of wild flowers and we
should find several species of Orchid with ease. We overnight at
the Baltasound Hotel, Unst.
DAY 3 Monday - Hermaness and Keen of Hamar
Our third morning takes us to Britain's most northerly nature reserve
- Hermaness. The moorland is home to 800 pairs of Great Skuas -
the second largest 'Bonxie' colony in the world - and the cliffs
house 50,000 Puffins, 40,000 Guillemots, 28,000 Fulmars and over
20,000 Gannets! The cacophony of bird cries and the smell of guano
make this an overwhelming wildlife experience! Amidst the tapestry
of Heather, Crowberry, Bog Bilberry and Bog Cotton we'll search
for the carnivorous Sundew and Butterwort. In the afternoon we'll
visit Keen of Hamar National Nature Reserve. Hiking on this barren
serpentine fell-field has been likened to walking on the Moon but,
as we explore this unique habitat, a diverse eco-system appears.
The reserve is home to an array of rare wild flowers including Arctic
Sandwort, Frog Orchid and Shetland Mouse-Ear Chickweed - found here
but nowhere else in the world! We return to Yell late in the afternoon
and then on to Mainland, where we overnight at Sumburgh Hotel.
DAY 4 Tuesday
After breakfast we'll transfer you to Sumburgh airport, or make
arrangements for you to travel to your onward destination in Shetland.
Holiday Information
2019 Operating Dates
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Sat 11th May
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Tues 14th May
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COST
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£745
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Single Supplement
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£95
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DEPOSIT
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£100
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Sat 18th May
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-
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Tues 21st May
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Sat 25th May
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-
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Tues 28th May
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Sat 1st June
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-
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Tues 4th June
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Sat 8th June
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-
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Tues 11th June
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Sat 15th June
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-
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Tues 18th June
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Sat 22nd June
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-
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Tues 25th June
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Sat 29th June
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-
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Tues 2nd July
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Sat 6th July
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-
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Tues 9th July
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*** Call our office for details of
our exclusive family holidays! ***
Group Size - maximum 8 travellers
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RECENT HIGHLIGHTS
Puffins tens of thousands!
Storm Petrels
Red-throated Divers
Great Northern Divers
King Eider
Whooper Swans
Red-necked Phalaropes
Black-tailed Godwits
Tawny Pipit
Thrush Nightingale
Subalpine Warbler
Bluethroat
Red-backed Shrikes
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Otters - lots!
Killer Whales
Minke Whales
White-beaked Dolphins
White-sided Dolphins
Risso's Dolphins
Harbour Porpoise
Grey Seals
Harbour Seals
Arctic Hare - lots!
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Frog Orchid
Northern Marsh Orchid
Early Purple Orchid
Fragrant Orchid
Oysterplant
Shetland Mouse-ear
Chickweed
Arctic Sandwort
Northern Rockcress
Hoary Whitlow-grass
Moonwort
Sundew
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