After a short ferry ride and drive from Lerwick, we’re picnicking on salmon-stuffed Shetland bannocks and bags of Shetland Fudge Company’s ‘Puffin Poo’, overlooking the channel between Bressay and remote Noss.

For years, we’ve unsuccessfully staked out wrack-strewn Voe foreshores at sunset to spot Shetland’s famously shy otters. Today, just a few mouthfuls into lunch, we didn’t expect to see the sleek creature now cavorting before us.

Forget reaching for cameras; that would instantly break the spell. Sometimes, just watching beats photography. For the first time, we’ve hit Shetland’s wildlife jackpot!

A wildlife paradise

Thinking about Africa’s Big Five game animals (elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and Cape buffalo) got me pondering the equivalents for Shetland – a much closer, more accessible destination for uncertain post-lockdown times.

Maybe you’ve visited this remarkable archipelago with its relaxed Nordic ambiance, or followed its wildlife through Simon King’s books and wildlife documentaries? Either way, you will know Shetland is a wildlife paradise.
We have ticked many of Shetland’s wildlife highlights off our list during more than a decade of visits. As Shetland regulars, patience, luck and local tip offs have allowed us to see elusive otters and orcas.

Depending on the season – we’ve always visited between June and August – puffins, arguably Shetland’s ornithological poster child, are an easier find. To get up close and personal, just visit Sumburgh Head in early August before they fly back out to sea.

Then there are the tiny storm petrels that we helped catch, weigh, tag and release on one memorable night. Or their antithesis, the powerful, dive-bombing skuas – bonxies – that aggressively top Shetland’s food chain.

Always ready to surprise

These are just for starters. From inquisitive seals – or maybe even a mythical selkie – to Mousa’s ground-nesting Arctic terns, Shetland wildlife always has a surprise in store. Like the pilot whale that surfaced, amid its breath’s pungent odour, beside us one tranquil evening off Trondra.

Maybe you will cross your fingers for a serendipitous wildlife encounter? Or perhaps – here’s an insider tip – you’ll seek help from local guides such as Richard Shucksmith or Brydon Thomason?

Either way, spotting any of Shetland’s Big Five is the crowning glory to enjoying its scenery, white-sand beaches, delicious cuisine and famously warm welcome.

Really, who needs the Maasai Mara or Serengeti when a picnic, a sunny day on Bressay and your private otter show lie just a few hours north of Gloucestershire!