Two reasons to visit Sumburgh Head today!

It turns out even Puffins enjoy splashing in puddles! 😂

📷 Kiera Munro

A lush male Snow Bunting at Sumburgh Head and shed loads of Puffins - that’s the right unit of measurement isn’t it?!

☕️ BIRDING WITH A BREW 🍰
Come join us in our new Observatory this weekend, for the first of our Sunday Socials! From 10 to 12, we’ll be joined by Ornithologist, Paul Harvey to answer all your questions about Shetland’s seabirds. Refreshments available for a small donation.

At the burrows…
At Sumburgh Head, many of the Puffin burrows can be seen, dug into the soil beneath the turf, at the top of the cliffs. Beneath these burrows, Puffins set up home in the nooks and crannies of the sandstone cliffs.

Sumburgh Head Lighthouse, from Grutness.

Views from the Head today. We’ve had a lovely day, meeting lots of really interesting people. We love hearing your stories, where you’re from, and sharing our stories from Sumburgh Head.

A meteor was captured flying over Dunrossness this morning amid report of a large “bang” throughout Shetland.

shetlandtimes.co.uk/2024/04/13/wat…

Blue skies, tasty traybakes, 5 different displays and a few hardy Puffins… Hope you can join us at the Visitor Centre today!

The Puffin and the Razorbill; two of the breeding auks we have here at Sumburgh Head Lighthouse.

This photo was taken earlier this week, on a bit of a dreich day. Look at the rain droplets on the Razorbill’s back!

The wait is finally over! After 8 months at sea, Puffins have returned to the grassy cliff tops beneath the Lighthouse. They will stay here for the summer breeding season, before departing in early August. Over the next 4 months, we’ll share lots of updates from the cliffs.

Puffins are back on the cliffs at Sumburgh Head, as of today!

Partial Solar Eclipse from Shetland.

The Sumburgh Foghorn was established #OnThisDay in 1907, and used for navigation for the next 80 years.

Today, the Foghorn is synonymous with Retained Lightkeeper Brian Johnson who restored the Foghorn, to sound it on special occasions.

Have you seen the new Keeper’s Corner at Sumburgh Head? It’s our new display, detailing the day-to-day lives of our former lighthouse keepers, what the job entailed and how they passed time between shifts.

Visitor Centre open 10am to 5pm, Thursday to Monday.

⚡️PUFFIN UPDATE⚡️
Puffins in flight, close to Sumburgh Head. They’re not on the cliffs yet, but it won’t be long. We’ve seen several Puffins whizz by the Observatory as they edge their way closer to shore.

📷 Puffins in Flight, 2023 by Vicky Armstrong

We did pretty well in this round. #pointless #lighthouses

This summer, we’re offering a series of short talks, highlighting incredible stories from Sumburgh Head.

This Saturday and Sunday, we’re sharing the story of a WWll Radar Station, located within the grounds of the Lighthouse. Talks will begin on the hour, between 11am and 3pm.

An afternoon walk, following the coastal path from the archaeological settlement of Jarlshof to Sumburgh Head Lighthouse. Good to see Kittiwakes back at their nest sites.

The Razorbills are back! 😍