Shetland's
first lighthouse, on Sumburgh Head, is a listed building. Built by Robert
Stevenson, who accompanied Sir Walter Scott to Shetland in 1814 - a cruise
that produced his novel The Pirate, set around Jarlshof and Fitful Head.
The RSPB's
nature reserve at Sumburgh Head has the UK's most accessible colony of
puffins (tammie nories), although the comical little birds only come to
land between April and late July. Just park, walk to the lighthouse, look
over the wall and there they are, along with guillemots (loom or
longvie), kittiwakes (rippack maas or waegs) and shags (skarfs).
Seals often haul out on the rocks below.
The walls and
fences make this a safe place for family birdwatching - and, if you are
lucky, for whale-watching. Particularly in June and July, you may see
humpback, minke and killer whales, as well as the more common harbour
porpoises, all feeding in the swirling tides around the tip of the South
Mainland. Another good birding spot is the roadside by the Pool of Virkie,
on the airport's north side, where your car makes a convenient hide to
watch migrating waders, and sometimes shelduck.
