Puffin, Perez house and coastal path were most popular Instagram posts
Andrew Hirst
A close-up shot of an inquisitive Fair Isle puffin has been ranked as VixitScotland’s most popular Instagram post of Shetland in 2021.
The photo by @fatimasnature received almost 60,000 likes when it was shared by the tourism organisation, making it the highest performing post of the region last year.
An enticing image of the coastal path leading to Uyea, taken by @the_island_mama_life, was ranked second most popular, with 40,000 likes.
The third highest performing post was by @rebekahchloe_ featuring The Lodberrie, otherwise known as the home of Inspector Jimmy Perez in the popular Shetland TV series. It attracted more than 35,000 likes.
Over the past year, VisitScotland’s Instagram reached people over 183 million times with 460 user-generated posts.
VisitScotland’s Development Manager, Steve Mathieson, said: “With its stunning coastline, its spectacular wildlife and the natural beauty of its 100 plus islands, Shetland is a fantastic source of inspiration for photographers and these images have captured some of the many reasons visitors are drawn to the islands.
“VisitScotland’s social media channels have played an important role in the last two years in continuing to keep Scotland front of mind and offering inspiration to our global audiences for when they can travel.
“We know there is pent-up demand for travel and we want to ensure that we inspire potential visitors with what Scotland has to offer and make it their first-choice destination when they can travel.”
Head of Promote Shetland David Nicol added: “It’s fantastic to see images of Shetland reaching such a wide audience through VisitScotland’s Instagram page.
“Our islands are the perfect destination for aspiring photographers because the dramatic coastlines and rolling landscapes are endlessly photogenic.
“Not only that but you’ve got the chance to witness some of the country’s most captivating wildlife in its natural environment, set against a backdrop of stunning natural light.”
Chris McGinlay
If anyone is walking out to Uyea, I wouldn’t recommend trying to descend to the beach following those two fences. It certainly looks like a path, but unless anything has changed since I was last there around 2015, that fence ends in a steep rocky drop. There is a (still steep and slippy) grassy slope round to the east if you are determined to descend. At the bottom of low tide the beach can be walked to the tombolo, but completely floods as the tide rises.