Shetland Seabird Tours - Daily Wildlife Boat Trips around Noss, Shetland

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Shetland's ONLY Naturalist led - carbon neutral - multi-award winning NOSS BOAT. The "Best Visitor Attraction Experience" WINNER 2022 - Highlands & Islands Tourism Awards

The ultimate Shetland wildlife & photography boat experience.
Come & join us in comfort & style & experience one of Europe’s finest wildlife spectacles with seasoned professionals. Voted 1 of the TOP 10 UK Boat Tours - The Guardian & winner of Best Wildlife & Photography Tour Company 2022/23" Global LTG

Our famous Noss Boat tours offer you the ultimate Shetland wildlife experience, unrivalled wildlife spectacles, close seabird & seal encounters & incredible photographic opportunities with the awe-inspiring Noss 'seabird city' backdrop.

Did somebody shout WHALES? Sightings of Orca are increasing in Shetland waters, they are not guaranteed, but what a bonus when they appear! With an eagle-eyed expert crew with a passion for cetaceans, you couldn't be on a better boat if whales are in the area. As seasoned professionals, we fully adhere to the strict guidelines for watching marine mammals as set out by SNH/Nature Scotland and WiSe.

Join us for a real 'gannet's eye view' with the incredible sight of over 25,000 gannets and other seabirds including guillemots, razorbills, puffins, black guillemots kittiwakes, fulmars & great skuas, all around the towering 180 metre weathered sandstone noup of Noss NNR. Enjoy the beautiful scenic views & iconic landmarks of Lerwick Harbour, Bressay Lighthouse, Orkneyman’s Cave, the striking natural arch of the Giant’s Leg & breath-taking geology around the coastline of Noss & Bressay.

We offer a unique, spectacular gannet feeding & diving experience, right alongside the boat. We supply the fish - a large bucket of locally caught mackerel - and give you time! Our gannet feeding frenzy, encapsulating what fishing boats entering the busy northern harbour have done for centuries, is our speciality & the highlight for many.

We are the longest operating Noss Boat & Crew, our tours are a must for all major film crews, including BBC Springwatch, Wild Shetland & Nat Geo TV. We are the boat of choice for single travellers, couples, tour groups, families & photographers.

We are Shetland's No.1 Choice. As Best of the Best, our consistently excellent reviews on TripAdvisor have provided us with annual Excellence & Traveller's Choice Awards since 2016. In November 2022 we won what is regarded as an Oscar in the Tourism Industry, the coveted Highlands and Islands award for " Best Visitor Attraction Experience". Smaller awards include winning "Best Wildlife & Photography Tour Company 2023" Winner -Global LTG "Boat Tour Company of the Year" 2022 in the Innovation & Excellence Awards & "The Best Wildlife & Photography Boat Tour Company" title, by the Scottish Enterprise Awards in 2021. Come & join us and see why!

Proud Supporters of the OM SYSTEM (OLYMPUS) CAMERAS

Rebecca Nason is an OM SYSTEM Ambassador, part of an ever expanding global brand. Please get in touch with questions, private 121 online workshops & NEW field (sea!) based OM SYSTEM Shetland workshops available in 2023. Rebecca is currently using the new OM-1 camera with prime M.Zuiko digital ED 300MM F4 IS Pro Lens.

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The Noss Boat

The Best Wildlife Boat

We have a very comfortable, streamlined, stable wildlife boat with a partial on/off canopy if needed, 360º panoramic viewing, ample room to sit, stand, photograph & enjoy. Our boats low position in the water is perfect for viewing & photographing wildlife & the perfect boat for navigating Shetland waters. We move around the marine rich Shetland waters with a sensitive approach to the local area & it's abundant wildlife. We can also move at a good speed between the main sites to maximise your time at the hot spots!

Toilet Onboard & Free Top Cafe Discount Card

We have a TOILET on board for piece of mind whilst out on the water. We have a small private room below deck at the front of the boat for passengers to use our toilet. Out of season this room turns into a twin-bedded mini cabin! Our tours focus on wildlife sightings to maximise your time & value for money. We think there are fabulous cafes in Lerwick to enjoy your refreshments post tour, though you are welcome to bring your own onboard! We have also collaborated with The 'Peerie Shop Cafe' since the 2022 season, offering every passenger a discount card for post trip refreshments! We are pleased to support other local businesses & collaborate in this original way.

Upholstered, Comfortable Seats with Backrests for All (Massive Bonus out on the Sea!)

Unique benefit of 12 fully upholstered, new, forward facing seats with backrests for the ultimate comfort at sea. It’s a great feature on our tours to have the ability to both sit down in comfort & safety whilst on the water & to be able to move around comfortably on deck. We also have a canvas roof canopy we can take on & off depending on weather. If the weather is mixed, we can keep you warm and dry out of the elements (still keeping the fully exposed large decking area free for photo shoots & panoramic viewing).

Daily 'Famous' Wildlife Boat Tours with Local Experts

Our famous Noss Boat trips run from April - October every day (weather depending) from Victoria Pier Slipway, Lerwick Harbour, just opposite the Tourist Office. We run scheduled daily boat trips at 09.45am, 12.45pm & 3.45pm (No 3.45pm tour Mon or Sat). Departures are approx 15 mins later. All our tours last for 2-2.5 hrs.

Binoculars & ID Guides for All, Free Eco Packs for Kids & On board Shop!

We have binoculars at hand for all passengers to use, sponsored by Opticron, as well as seabird & cetacean identification charts & free little eco-activity packs for young children (worth £5 each). We also have our online shop with quality SST merchandise for sale.

Original 'Early Bird' Photo Tours

Being the photographers boat of choice, we also run our original scheduled 'Early Bird' sunrise tours for the best of Shetland's early morning light at the cliffs of Noss. These tours depart on Mon & Sat at 05.45am. with prior booking only (minimum 4 persons).

Small Groups

WORLD CLASS EXPERIENCE

We take up to 12 passengers per trip & are the perfect choice for all, including tour groups, single travellers, couples, families & photographers visiting Shetland.

Our tour prices are kept as low as possible, we feel the price is incredible value for money at £50 for adults & £25 for under 16’s. Our price for under 16's hasn't changed since we started our business in 2016! We are without doubt the best boat, offer the best wildlife experience & the best value for money. Come & join Shetland's premier boat tour company and experience what is often hailed THE highlight of many visitors holiday experiences to the Shetland Islands & a TOP shetland visitor attraction.

The Crew

Phil Harris is your highly experienced skipper, birder, naturalist & guide on all tours. Rebecca is a professional wildlife photographer, global wildlife photo judge & natural history author who joins some of our more bespoke photo tours.

They have worked "out in the field" for many years, honing their field skills, ready to deliver fun, personal, informative & interesting tours to suit all interests & ages. SST has a responsible, sensitive approach to Shetland's rich marine natural environment & tourism.

Phil was formally a fire fighter & worked on rescue boats at sea, so safety out on the water is paramount to all our tours. All our passengers wear our slimline lifejackets upon embarkation as a standard health & safety procedure, for the duration of all our tours.

Conservation & environmental education is fundamental to SST companies ethos. We literally live for birds & wildlife & have been on Shetland ‘living the dream’ for nearly 20 years. We yet again have our Carbon Neutral status for 2023 (2020-23) another step in the right direction.