Adorable puffin in the Shetland Islands
Hello from the remote town of Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland!
This is our second trip to the Shetland Islands in the last two years. We spent about eight hours on the island during a cruise trip stop in July 2025. We loved it so much, and we wanted to get back to the island for a couple of days on our next trip to Scotland.
A few things have drawn us to the Shetland Islands recently. First, the British crime drama Shetland is one of our favorite shows and second wanting to see puffins!
During our visit in July 2025, we learned that the ideal time to see puffins is late April into late May. We also learned that the ideal location on the island to see them is Sumburgh Head. This is on the far south part of mainland Shetland. So we planned a trip to coincide with the perfect puffin viewing time!
We booked an overnight ferry from mainland Scotland, stopping on Orkney island for about 8 hours, then arriving in Lerwick, Shetland, about 7:30 am the next morning. We drove right off the ferry in our rental car and made our way south. As we drove south, across the local airport runway, up the steep lighthouse road, it began to lightly snow. This is very unusual on Shetland in early May, but the cold weather and high winds did not deter us! We hiked along the lighthouse path to the overlook and there they were: the elusive puffins. There were hundreds of them nesting on the hillside. As we marveled at their colorful beaks and playful behavior, we stood there in silence, with no one else around and just enjoying the accomplishment of finding one of our bucket list animals.
We never would have known the best time and place to see the puffins without the help and local knowledge of Grant. We met Grant on a private tour with him during our visit in July 2025. Grant had taken us to this exact spot along with many other amazing viewpoints on the south part of Shetland. He told us exactly when to return if we wanted to see the colorful birds, and he didn’t steer us wrong!
Delaina exploring the countryside!
This trip we re-booked Grant and the Shetland Mini-Bus tours, but this time we explored the northern part of Shetland Island. Grant immediately recognized us from the trip last year. His positive nature and immense knowledge and passion for his home island is amazing. After visiting more filming locations from the Shetland TV series and taking in scenery that photos simply cannot capture, we stopped at a local café where all of the food is sourced from a nearby farm. Delicious!! Grant is a historic fountain of knowledge taking us to World War II sites like the Shetland Bus memorial. (Look it up for an unbelievable inspiring story.)
In addition to Grant, we also met Dorothy with Houlls Horses and Hounds. Dorothy was my wife’s guide on a horseback ride across the beautiful landscapes of the Burra area of Sheltand. Their Icelandic horses make for the perfect way to explore the countryside.
Incredible scenery at every turn!
One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned through our travels is the value of exploring destinations with local guides. Some of our most memorable experiences have come from connecting with locals in places like Jamaica, Hawaii, Alaska, Rhodes, Barbados, and many other destinations around the world. We highly encourage you to use local guides as well—perhaps looking further than what is offered by your cruise line!
This is one of the many reasons our travel advisors love sharing our personal travel experiences and firsthand knowledge. We have built connections with trusted local guides around the world helping travelers experience destinations in a more meaningful and authentic way.
What is your bucket list destination or bucket list animal to see in their natural habitat? Reach out to one of our Stars, and let us help you get there!