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Yell

Yell - Tracks of the Wild Otter

Yell is Shetland's second-biggest island (83 square miles/212km2) and probably the Otter capital of Britain.

Crofting townships fringe Yell's long and varied coastline and stretches of uninhabited moorland, known as 'da Wilds o' Yell', which include nationally important nature reserves such as the RSPB's Lumbister, Hascosay and the Yell Sound Islands. But the whole area teems with wildlife, especially during the summer, so there's always something to delight birdwatchers, hill walkers or casual strollers. You never know when a Whimbrel, a Red-throated Diver, Golden Plover, Common Seal or Otter may put in an unscheduled appearance - and that's just while you're still sitting in your car.

Gateway to the North Isles

Yell makes a handy base to explore Shetland's other North Isles, Fetlar and Unst. From Toft, on the Shetland Mainland, it's only 15 minutes by the council-owned car ferry to Ulsta in south Yell. Ferries from Gutcher in north Yell whisk you to over Bluemull Sound to Belmont in Unst (5 minutes) and Oddsta in Fetlar (25 minutes)

Like neighbouring Unst, Yell has a fine leisure centre and heated indoor swimming pool that welcome visitors. There are three well-stocked and very helpful shops, some excellent bed-and breakfast establishments, three pubs and, at the Gutcher ferry terminal, the delightfully eccentric Wind Dog Café, an internet café-cum-library, run by an opera singer from London!

Almost a thousand people live in Yell, many of them still involved in traditional crofting. Dozens commute daily to Lerwick and Sullom Voe but jobs based in the island include the fishermen and fish farmers, ice-plant operators, hauliers, quarrymen, Shetland's only commercial strawberry grower, and several highly-skilled craft workers, artists and musicians.

Hugh Miles' celebrated BBC film 'The Track of the Wild Otter' was made here in the 1980s and Yell is still one of the best places in Shetland to see these elusive creatures, not least because they live in the rubble breakwaters where the island ferries berth and a waiting car makes a good hide!

Unlike most of the country, where Otters are nocturnal, Shetland Otters are often seen in daytime - although you usually have to be up rather early to be sure of a good sighting.

Otter

Yell has especially desirable 'real estate' for wandering families of Otters because there's plenty of low-lying peaty shoreline where they can excavate holts with good fresh water supplies. These are the normal European river otters (Lutra lutra), not Pacific Sea Otters, and in Shetland they catch most of their fish in salt water - so after each hunt they must rinse their fur in fresh water to keep its insulating properties. Unlike seals, Otters have no fat layer to keep them warm.

Most local folk have met an Otter on the road at some time, so please drive carefully! Vehicles are the commonest cause of Otter deaths in Shetland.

Seals are less plentiful around Yell than they once were but you can still find small parties of Common and Grey Seals almost anywhere around the coastline.

With luck and binoculars, you may spot Harbour Porpoises some distance offshore or, less frequently, dolphins and Killer Whales, particularly in Bluemull Sound and Yell Sound. Local ferrymen often keep notes of cetacean sightings and are pleased to share information with passengers if you ask what they've seen today.

Seabird Flyways

The ferry crossings are great opportunities for birdwatching as both Yell Sound and Bluemull Sound are busy flyways for birds hurrying to and from feeding grounds and nesting colonies on the east and west coasts of Shetland. You'll be surprised how many Gannets, Puffins and Guillemots pass through these sounds in an hour.

All around the coast of Yell you'll find small colonies of nesting seabirds - the cliffs at Neapoback and Da Horse o' Burravoe being particularly rich in species. In summer the moorlands are home to an amazing array of wading birds as well as skuas and divers.

Yell was home to a famous Shetland naturalist, musician and author, the late Bobby Tulloch, the RSPB representative here for many years. As well as logging rarities like Fetlar's Snowy Owl, Bobby did much to publicise Shetland's treasure house of commoner birds, animals and plants worldwide. At the Old Ha' heritage centre in Burravoe there's a special section devoted to Bobby Tulloch's wonderful collection of wildlife photographs, most of them taken in his native island.

Walking the Coastline

Yell offers some lovely coastal walks and, thanks to the locally-based author and rambler Peter Guy, it's exceptionally well-documented. Peter's guidebooks to Walking the Coast of Shetland are classics and essential companions as you explore Yell and other islands.

Visitors are welcome to walk in most of the island, as long as you leave gates as you found them, avoid damage to fences and don't disturb livestock or trample crops. Dogs are not usually welcome on croft land and must be kept under strict control at all times.

More information:
View our interpretive leaflet on Yell

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