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I thoroughly enjoyed Shetland which is really beautiful and we saw some fantastic rare birds. It is obviously a great time of year to go for migration as demonstrated by the large numbers of birders on the islands. Fulfilled my expectations and I even enjoyed the ferry! Highlight was seeing a Bluethroat which I have wanted to see since I got into birding and we got a pretty good view (albeit after a long wait) but also a Golden Oriole which popped up without any real need to wait.
H.P. Cambridgeshire, Sep24
Shetland: Autumn Bird Migration
Tour Code: GBR275A 9-day holiday to the wonderful Shetland Islands to observe the exciting autumn bird migration – one of the ornithological highlights of the birding calendar!
9 days
from
£1,995 (Inc ferry)
£1,995 (Inc ferry)
Land only price
from
£1,945
£1,945
Highlights
Summary
Autumn is an exciting season in which to be birdwatching, especially on Shetland which is arguably one of the best archipelagos in the UK for an abundance of passing migrants and rare vagrants that have tracked westwards from Scandinavia, or sometimes eastwards from America. Amongst the more common species there is quite often a scarcity or two to be found, making this an enthralling time to be on these spectacular islands! Being perfectly positioned at the island's 'capital' of Lerwick throughout, we will also aim to visit a handful of the many outer islands, possibly including Bressay, Unst and Yell. Of course, we will be keeping a close eye on the local bird news services in case a rarity is found and, if within striking distance, we will attempt to see the bird in question, although arguably part of the fun of birding these islands in September or October is to find our own species! It's not just birds we will be hoping to see, however; these islands support a healthy population of Otters, two species of seal and a number of passing cetaceans, including the possibility of a pod of Orca or Risso's Dolphin!
Please note there will be some twitching during this holiday, as we aim to see any rare bird which has been reported. This will ensure the itinerary may have to change abruptly, so please be aware of this when booking.
Daily walks, amongst incredible scenery, will aim to be around five or six miles, but please be prepared for occasional longer walks.
There are bound to be plentiful highlights during this trip as we casually cover a number of key sites across this wonderful archipelago and, with chances of rarities, even the seasoned birder might be in for a surprise or two.
- Visiting Shetland at the height of the autumn migration
- Exploring small copses and geos for vagrant birds
- A variety of warblers, chats and thrushes
- Passage waders in sheltered voes
- Possibility of passing cetaceans from Sumburgh Head
- Lanceolated, Pallas's Grasshopper and Grasshopper Warbler are almost annual
- Visiting a few of the outer islands
- Led by an expert birdwatcher
Outline Itinerary
Day 1
Overnight ferry, Aberdeen to Lerwick
Day 2/7
Mainland Shetland and outer islands
Day 8
Lerwick; overnight ferry to Aberdeen
Day 9
Arrive Aberdeen
Reviews
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Given the need to constantly adapt our itinerary according to weather and bird alerts, our leader did a magnificent job of keeping the interest up, covering a good balance of opportunities to enjoy expected birds and rarities, walks intermixed with travel in the minibus, those essential toilet stops, and still kept us to the time schedule without anything feeling to me as if there was time pressure. S.T. Cambridge
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Matt's knowledge of the islands and birds made the whole tour enjoyable, and by covering a lot of places on Shetland we were able to get a feel for all the different areas, as the other islands we visited were different to Mainland. S.S. Chesterfield
Dates & Prices
2025
Departures
Availability
Cost
Fri 26th Sep – Sat 4th Oct
5
£1,995
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,945
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£295
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Mark Wood
Tour Leader: Mark Wood
After spending much of his early childhood exploring the woods and fields around his house in Fife, Scotland, Mark quickly developed a curiosity for the natural world around him. With the closest nature reserve being RSPB Loch Leven it did not take long for a keen interest in birds to follow. Going on to study Conservation Biology at Aberdeen University Mark’s passion for wildlife in its many facets and a desire to protect it would only continue to grow.
Much of his working life has been spent as an Ecologist in Scotland but the desire to travel and find exotic bird species is a constant draw. This has led to many long overseas adventures including Australia and New Zealand, where he was able to work on the Kakapo project and see this endangered parrot. Driving from Scotland to Mongolia and back in 2019, exploring much of central Asia and Russia along the way, a lifelong dream! As well as many other fantastic, nature rich locations across North and South America, Africa, Europe and East Asia.
Mark started leading tours to Shetland for Naturetrek in 2022.
2026
Departures
Availability
Cost
Fri 25th Sep – Sat 3rd Oct
SPACES
£2,195
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£325
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
Enquire
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We offer a truly mouth-watering selection of trips for those who wish to revel in the incredible autumn migration of birds, from several UK-based ‘staycations’ to short-haul ventures to other parts of Europe. Here we share some of our most popular autumn migration tours.
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