Have you been watching Simon King's Shetland Diaries on BBC2 (Thursdays, 8 pm). It's fabulous! As someone who has spent a lot of time on the islands it's been a real trip down memory lane. Before Island Holidays existed I was a PR consultant and Shetland Tourist Organisation (as VisitShetland was then known) was one of my biggest clients. In fact, it was because of that that I met Bobby Tulloch and we set up Island Holidays together back in 1987/88.
Every time I go back to Shetland a bit of me wishes that I had taken the plunge and gone there to live. At the time I decided I'd rather be a welcome visitor than a "white settler" (which is probably frighteningly incorrect politically!). I guess we all wonder "what if?" of various major decisions in our lives.
Anyway, if you're watching Simon King's series and are tempted by the sheer beauty of these wonderful islands which have Britain's most northerly everything, you'll be pleased to know that we've made getting there and seeing the very best of it possible with two of our holidays. Both go in June to coincide with the peak of the seabird breeding season. The first is linked with a visit to Orkney and is very much a birding holiday with stays at the famous North Ronaldsay and Fair Isle Observatories in Orkney and Shetland respectively, as well as a stay visits to Unst and Fetlar (tick those Red-necked Phalarope!).
The second tour is stand-alone Shetland offering the opportunity for a more in-depth look at these wonderful islands including their built as well as natural heritage. We visit the famous archaeological site of Jarlshof and the nearby seabird colony, take a boat trip round the National Nature Reserve island of Noss with its dramatic cliffs and vast Gannet colony (Bobby used to describe Noss and Hermaness as "Sea Bird Cities"). We'll go out to the fabulous broch on Mousa as the short darkness falls to see the Storm Petrels changing nesting duties. All in all, you'll get a really good feel of what these most beautiful and fascinating islands have to offer.
With all the publicity from Simon King's programmes we're expecting these tours to fill quickly so, if you want to sign up, get in touch with us as soon as you can.
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