A Return to Lerwick, and the Noss National Nature Reserve by Sea and on Foot – Isleburgh Hostel, Seabirds and Seals Boat Trip, Noss Circular Walk

I enjoyed the return bus and ferry rides from Unst to Lerwick and arrived to my accommodation at the fabulous Isleburgh hostel. It is housed in an elegant mansion once owned by a wealthy herring merchant and is located atop a hill, not far from the harbour, and with a great view out over a park. It was a wonderful place to stay for my last two days in Lerwick.

In the afternoon I was booked on a boat tour with “Seabirds and Seals” that would travel from Lerwick, around the island of Bressay, and over to the island of Noss which is a National Nature Reserve. It was a beautiful afternoon and I arrived early to Victoria Pier and took several photos of the harbour and one of our boat.

We passed along the historic buildings of the harbour front, with commentary,

and then motored past the picturesque lighthouse located on Bressay. It was built in the 1850s by brothers David and Thomas Stevenson who also built the lighthouse at Muckle Flugga.

We stopped at a cliffside location to view a colony of Kittiwakes, and then we backed into a deep sea cave where black shags were nesting in dark crevices.

Then we passed through a sea arch, which is only possible on certain tides. That was fun!

The stratified and tilted sandstone cliffs of Bressay were very striking.

We then headed over to the island of Noss. The cliffs below its high Neap Hill are home to thousands of nesting seabirds including guillemots, fulmars and gannets.

As we travelled, a great skua flew overhead,

and later a gannet carrying a feather.

There were birds on the sea as well as in the air. Here is a quartet of guillemots,

and many more on the rocks!

Some of the guillemots are “bridled”, which means that they have a white eye line.

We also passed close to so many beautiful gannets.

At the base of the Neap Hill cliffs, on a series of ledges just above the sea,

there was a collection of young gannets with their immature plumage of patchy brown and white wing feathers.

It will take between four and five years for them to gain their adult plumage.

The commentator, Marie, was excellent and she told us many facts about all of the seabirds, but I was only half listening. I was so excited to see the gannets in such close proximity,

and as they flew all around and above us!

Eventually, we had to leave the Neap Hill colonies behind,

but I managed one last shot of a gannet who decided to follow us.

It was so wonderful to be on the sea and so close to the birds! We stopped for coffee and biscuits in a sheltered bay within sight of an old farmhouse. The house is now the home of two wardens who monitor the bird populations on Noss during the nesting season, between April and September. Marie said that the wardens will pick up walkers from the nearby island of Bressay and ferry them across to Noss where there is a circular walk around the island. I had already planned a hike for the following day but was now thinking that perhaps I’d revisit Noss instead, this time on foot.

As we began our return journey to Lerwick someone offered to take my picture. As you can see, I was very very happy to have splurged on this marvellous boat ride!

We said goodbye to Noss, and motored around to the far end of Bressay to enter busy Lerwick Harbour from the north side, past a large cruise ship and the NorthLink Ferry as well as many docks, boats, and a large boat building shed.

The next morning I decided that I would indeed walk the circular trail around Noss. The ferry to Bressay leaves from Lerwick harbour and the crossing takes less than ten minutes. I managed to get a ride across Bressay which saved me a six mile road walk! Below, one of the wardens is coming over on the inflatable to pick up some supplies, and then at 10 a.m. the other warden, a young woman came to pick up myself and three other walkers waiting on the Bressay shore.

She dropped us off and then zipped back across the water to pick up another four walkers. After that she gave us all a brief orientation in the small Visitors Centre. She showed us a map of the 8.25 km trail, pointed out where various bird colonies are and where we were most likely to see otters, and she requested that we stay on the coastal trail and not cross into the centre of the island where terns and great skuas nest.

I headed off, following the shoreline above a curve of beach,

and then along Noss’ low western shore.

As the trail swung around to the southern coast it began to rise up onto low cliffs and then onto higher cliffs that were sculpted into stacks and arches.

Puffins were on an off-shore stack, too distant for good photos,

but this fulmar was close and very peaceful looking despite being perched on the very edge of the cliff top!

Up ahead is a couple that was on the boat with me. They help give an idea of the scale of the cliffs.

This was a rather dizzying spot, with gannets nesting on the narrowest of ledges, and many soaring above the sea below.

I stepped as close to the edge as I dared, for this quick shot,

and then backed away and continued my climb up along the top of the cliffs towards the summit of Neap Hill.

Here are a view back, a view of the cairn atop Neap Hill, and a young gannet that soared past near enough for a photo.

The birds had definitely been easier to see from the boat, but I still loved this walk. After the excitement of being on the high cliffs, I relaxed and began the downhill trek along the eastern coast of Noss. There were views across Noss to Bressay and to Mainland, at least five geos to pass, and smaller pleasures as well – wispy tufts of cotton grass, pink ragged robin, and a lovely little wren.

Here is a view back towards Neap Hill,

and forward over the undulating land topped with sea pinks. Terns rose up in the air several times as I walked, and oyster catchers complained with their loud “pip pip pip” calls if I drew too close to their nests near the shore.

It was such a wonderful walk! I crossed over a stone fence on a stile, rose up and around a low hill to a northeast-facing beach, and then returned to the farmhouse where the warden gave me a ride back in the inflatable across the water to Bressay. Once on Bressay, I started the steep climb up the hill towards the parking area and then stopped for this view looking back down towards Noss. I was feeling envious of one of today’s fellow walkers who is a Shetlander and does this walk at least once every year.

At the top of the hill an older couple was sitting on a bench enjoying the view. He had wanted to cross to Noss but she is scared of boats. We chatted for a long time and I caught a ride back with them to the ferry terminal for the trip back to Lerwick, luckily avoiding the six mile road walk yet again! I took a few photos of the harbour from the ferry – a tall ship (the Christian Radich from Oslo) was now docked at Victoria pier!

I began my walk back to my hostel and noticed that there was no one at the “Welcome to Shetland” sign! Each time I had passed it on previous days it was mobbed by cruise ship passengers getting their photos taken but now it was free for me to take a selfie. It was my last day in Lerwick, with only three days left of my time in Shetland, and I was already feeling a little sad that my time in the Northern Isles was nearing its end.

But I also felt extremely grateful, and excited to travel to my next destination where I would see one of Shetland’s most beautiful sights, St. Ninian’s Isle and its golden sand tombolo. I was so happy with my day, and happy to greet the next. Thank you for travelling with me on this journey. 🙂