Shetland Your Essential Travel Guide by Laure Goodlad is the latest book from Misa Hay's 60 North Publishing project. If you're planning a trip to Shetland it's definitely worth giving Laurie a follow on Instagram, and ordering her book either direct from 60 North or through the Shetland Times bookshop. I bought it as soon as I got up there with the definite intention of doing something I'd never done before. After consulting the book and my general level of fitness (arthritis is playing hell with my right foot, and I can't currently walk as far as I'd like and really not very far off road - I'm scheduled for an injection to help with the pain a week today) I thought a sea bird tour around Noss would be perfect.
Unfortunately, the weather had other ideas, it was sunny for most of our time in Shetland, but also windy enough on the free days I had not to be ideal for a boat trip. Next time. Meanwhile the book is full of excellent walks, info for shopping for wool and knitwear, things to see, photography tips, heritage attractions and more. The size is sensible, the weather advice is another excellent feature, and altogether it's a thoroughly useful and engaging guide book.
An actual highlight of the holiday was spending the best part of an hour on a sunny afternoon Otter watching though and there are tips for that in Lauries book too.
She lists some great possible spots in Lerwick, the best times of day to see them, and gives a bit of solid advice - if you really want to be sure of seeing an Otter book a nature guide. I learned this when I went to Mull and didn't see a Sea Eagle - it feels like everyone else I know just saw them hanging out, so I thought I might get lucky too. Sadly not and if I ever go to Mull again I'm doing a nature tour because I really don't know enough about Sea Eagle habits to have a clue about where to start.
I do know a bit about Otters though, and I'm pretty good at spotting them. Shetland is a great place to do it, it has the highest concentration of otters in Europe and a lot of water close at hand - which otters like. Watching the sea is a good strategy for Shetland anyway - there are seals, an excellent chance of whales, dolphins, and porpoises, and a whole raft of birds to spot quite apart from an otter.
Spending a bit of time observing seals is worthwhile - once you know what they look like in the water you'll know that's not what you're seeing when you spot an otter. My next tip is to go for a good walk along the coast - look for lots of crab shells, sea urchin shells, and possible otter spraint - otters are messy eaters when it comes to leftovers. From there the best time to see them is either side of low tide - look for good rocks with plenty of kelp around them and then sit downwind from the sea.
Otters don't see very well so if your spot is a good one you might end up getting quite a close encounter. If you see one in the water you can move closer to the shoreline whilst they're diving, but be respectful of their space - it's their home, not ours.
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