Shetland Seabird Tours - The Noss Boat

Name: Shetland Seabird Tours - The Noss Boat
Address: Small Boat Harbour Slipway, Victoria Pier, Lerwick, ZE10EL, GB
Telephone: +447767872260

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Shetland Seabird Tours - The Noss Boat

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No.1 Noss Boat⚓️Join us for a real © Gannet’s Eye View, the © “Ultimate Shetland Wildlife & Photography Boat Tour Experience”. Wild Shetland ….

Daily Scheduled Boat Tours to Noss & Bressay 🐋 Bespoke photo tours available. Unique carbon neutral, naturalist led tours.📷💚 Shetland Seabird Tours - THE NOSS BOAT - WELCOME ABOARD! Shetland’s No.1 Wildlife & Photography Boat Tour Company

* GOLD AWARD - Green Tourism

* FINALISTS - VIBES - UK Small Business environmental awards '24

* WINNER “BEST VISITOR ATTRACTION EXPERIENCE” HITA Thistle Awards '22

* FINALISTS "BEST VISITOR ATTRACTION EXPERIENCE” & "BEST OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE" HITA Thistle Awards '24

* 1 of the top 10 boat tours in the UK: The Guardian ….. (& The Week magazine).

* TOP 7 BEST UK BOAT TOURS - The Times '24

* The Winner of "Wildlife Tour Company of the Year 2022 for Scotland, United Kingdom" Travel & Hospitality awards '22.

* “Best Wildlife & Photography Boat Tour Company” Scottish Enterprise Awards '21

* A proudly CARBON NEUTRAL business with CONSERVATION & EDUCATION at the root of our fun, wildlife-filled, multi award winning boat tours. We deliver, engaging, current & totally © original content both online & out at sea! We are proud leaders in our field.

* Come aboard the Noss Boat and experience a © real ‘GANNETS EYE VIEW'......we are the original, longest running active Noss Boat starting our local, family run business in 2016 & still the same owners, crew & boat (upgraded to fabulous new boat in 2018!).

* We offer clearly scheduled, daily wildlife boat tours from Victoria Pier, Lerwick to the famous Noss National Nature Reserve and around Bressay. The “ultimate Shetland wildlife & photography experience” with Shetland's ONLY naturalist led boat tour company.

* DAILY MORNING NOSS BOAT TOUR: 9:45am

* DAILY AFTERNOON NOSS BOAT TOUR: 12:45pm

* DAILY LATE AFTERNOON NOSS BOAT TOURS 03:45pm (not Mon & Sat)

* ORIGINAL 'EARLY BIRD' PHOTO TOURS run Mon & Sat: 05:30am
Min 4 people, prior booking essential.

2025 BOOKINGS NOW BEING TAKEN......

* BESPOKE PHOTO WORKSHOP TOURS
We also original, unique private bespoke photo tours catering for a variety of film & photo requirements. Rebecca & Phil have a wealth of photographic expertise between them, essential to have the knowledge when offering these specific photographic services. We also collaborate with some big names in the photography world offering bespoke tours for both above & underwater imagery. Please get in touch to discuss your ideas and requirements!

* A highlight is our unique Gannet feeding & diving frenzy within feet of the boat - an unrivalled spectacle with incredible photographic opportunities. 25,000 northern gannets swirl in the air above us and fill the honeycomb, sandstone ledges of Noss cliffs towering above us. We are also joined by a wealth of other seabirds & wildlife in one the richest marine environments in the UK. From puffin, razorbills and guillemots, to close seal encounters, occasional surfacing Minke Whale and increasing Orca sightings....let us show you the best Shetland has to offer. We give you the TIME at the wildlife sights to maximise your experience.

* You'll be welcomed by your highly experienced ornithologist, skipper & wildlife guide - Phil Harris. Our beautiful Redbay boat, the Ayda Ruby, is a comfortable, bespoke wildlife boat with plenty of room to stand, photograph and enjoy, perfect for navigating the waters around Shetland.

* Every passenger has their own NEW comfortable upholstered seat with backrest (a big bonus when out on the water!) as well as having full access to a large decking area for fabulous all round, panoramic viewing and photography. We also have a partial canopy cover we can attach if needed & an easily accessible TOILET facility!

* We take a maximum of 12 passengers per trip and provide life jackets, 12 sponsored binoculars and bespoke SST seabird identification charts for all (in 5 languages!) as well as our original free eco-friendly packs for young children (worth £10). “We are the boat of choice for tour groups, families, photographers and all major film crews” copyright SST’25.

**AS SEEN ON TV**
BBC Springwatch …. We are used by all the main wildlife tour companies in the UK & from abroad - please get in touch early to book your group tours with us as spaces at prime times fill fast.

£60 Adults £25 under 16's

BEST BOAT - BEST CREW - BEST VALUE - BEST EXPERIENCE

Bespoke tours & private charters by arrangement, please contact us for prices. Book now online via our website or call us on: +44 (0)7767872260

* WiSe scheme accredited 2022-2025. We take our overwhelming passion for wildlife & the environment very seriously & we’re delighted to have been awarded the certification & accreditation from this highly regarded British company in 2022.

* Recommended Boat Tours Operator - Seawatch Foundation 2023-2025

01/11/2026

The 1st Grey Phalarope of the late autumn on Shetland yesterday, found by Yuan Brown at Ireland Beach, Bigton, south mainland. There have been over 700 records of this Arctic breeding wader in Britain and Ireland over the past week alone!

29/10/2026

Autumn 2026 has brought a notable influx of Coues’s Arctic Redpolls Acanthis flammea exilipes (Coues, 1862) to Shetland, with multiple records reported across Unst, Fair Isle, and the mainland. This beauty was on Bressay today. Photo by Phil Harris.

28/10/2026

Three years ago, during a difficult period in her life, Caitlin discovered birds offered an unexpected escape from her troubles. She joined the growing number of young people flocking to birdwatching.

Read more: https://bbc.in/4zQteph

28/10/2026

The first Western Palearctic record of Rufous-tailed Robin was on Fair Isle on 23rd October 2004 whilst Rebecca of Shetland Seabird Tours - The Noss Boat was an Assistant Warden there.

The incredible find of this forest dwelling South-east Asian beauty just off the roadside on Fair isle has become something of birding legend over the last 22 years, the ultimate, largely untwitchable mega eastern rare. The two famous images of that bird Rebecca took 22 years ago and shown here, were literally at the start of the digital revolution and epic changes in the bird photography scene. Professional digital cameras had only just become available in the UK market and Rebecca had bought hers in Tokyo in 2003 just before heading to Fair Isle to work. Suddenly, innovative, high quality digital gear became mainstream and in the two decades since, bird photography became accessible, largely affordable, and enabled images of a quality and creativity only dreamt of previously. Most birders now carry a camera!

Only a handful of birders on Fair Isle and from mainland Shetland got to twitch this bird which was only present during that one memorable day. The wait however, was finally over on Tuesday 20th October 2026, when Zak Spaull found one while birding Flamborough Head in East Yorkshire. This discovery marks the first proper twitchable occurrence of Rufous-tailed Robin in Britain.

All previous sightings since the Fair Isle bird refer to one day sightings, on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, on 2nd October 2010, at Warham Greens, Norfolk, on 14th October 2011 and lastly on Fetlar, Shetland, on 6th October 2019. In Europe there are 2 other accepted records now, 2012: 14th October, Bornholm, Denmark and 2005, 30th December, Podlaskie, Poland.

The daily images of this latest bird and the overwhelming joy on the twitching scene as it stayed well into this week and became more and more confiding, is palpable and brings back the very best of Shetland birding memories. What an incredible Autumn it's been for birders and bird photographers nationwide!

26/10/2026

Hume’s Warbler at Gorie, Bressay yesterday found by Phil Harris and Glen Tyler and photographed by Phil. One of up to four found throughout the Isles in the last couple of days. Similar to Yellow-browed Warbler (of which it was until recently considered a subspecies), but separated by its generally drabber plumage, dark legs and bill, and distinctive call, Hume’s Warbler is still very much a scarce late autumn visitor from Asia. A welcome find between storms.

23/10/2026

Warnings of flooding and travel disruption have been issued ahead of Storm Boleo hitting Shetland this weekend.

Paywall removed to share a round-up of all the latest advice and information.

23/10/2026

Pete's Café is back open next week! And just as well.. look at poor Amanda outside waiting with her cup!

It’s been a long few weeks without our next door neighbours. We will be very glad to have them back! 🤩

23/10/2026

Fair Isle will be without a ferry service until early November after the Good Shepherd IV broke down last Sunday, the council has confirmed.

This follows an inspection on a local slipway today (Friday).

Full story here: https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2026/10/23/wait-spare-parts-means-fair/

23/10/2026

After seven weeks birding in the Outer Hebrides, Zak Spaull headed to Flamborough hoping for a late-season rarity. His decision delivered one of the most desired of all megas.

Address

Small Boat Harbour Slipway, Victoria Pier
Lerwick
ZE10EL

Telephone

+447767872260

Website

http://www.shetlandseabirdtours.com/, https://www.shetlandseabirdtours.com/blog/

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