RSPB Shetland

20/08/2026

19/08/2026

Would you be interested in helping us care for Dave's Trees down at Sumburgh Head?
We're on the look out for a volunteer to help us with small jobs to maintain an area of trees, planted to provide cover for migrant birds.
You can find more details about the role here:
https://volunteer.rspb.org.uk/opportunities/122146-site-checks-and-maintenance-volunteer-sumburgh-trees-volunteer-2026-08-19

13/08/2026

✨ Spiggie Open Day 2026 ✨

What an amazing day, with over 300 of you joining RSPB Shetland to connect with each other and connect with nature at RSPB Loch of Spiggie and on Scousburgh Sands!

We loved seeing your art creations in the hide, your energy in our Rat Catchie games, your sand sculptures and your interest in the sea creatures, birds and seaweeds we share Spiggie with! Your feedback and donations are so valuable, and allow us to continue events like this in the future, and to continue to support species and habitat within Shetland.

A special thanks to Miss Sprinkles Shetland and Da Fantin Burger for keeping us going, to Black Raven Beauty for the colourful facepainting, and to the landowners for their support of this event.

12/08/2026

Spiggie Open Day 2026 is tomorrow!

What’s on?

IN THE HIDE
🥾 Guided walks with Species on the Edge at 10:30 and 11:00 (30 min walk time)
🎨 Facepainting with Black Raven Beauty
🦆Guide in the Hide
✏️Art activities

IN THE BEACH CARPARK
🍦Miss Sprinkles Shetland
🍔Da Fantin Burger
🚻 Toilets (by Ness Engineering)

ON THE BEACH
🔎 Nature Spot Station
🏰 Sand Sculptures
🐭 Rat Catchie game
🦀 Purling i da ebb
🪶 Beach Birding

Field parking is beside RSPB Loch of Spiggie Hide. Please see post below for more information!

Spiggie Open Day 2026 is back for its third year! 🎉

The RSPB Shetland Team are hosting a range of family-friendly nature activities in the RSPB Loch of Spiggie Hide and on Scousburgh Sands, PLUS we will be joined by Da Fantin Burger, Miss Sprinkles Shetland and there will be facepainting from Vikki at Black Raven Beauty!

What's on: Beachcombing and ID sessions, rockpooling, wildlife spotting, sandcastle building, guide in the hide, birdwatching, games, guided walks, food truck, facepainting and more!

Weather: Please dress for the weather, bring water and sunscreen. Weather related cancellations communicated on Facebook.

Parking: Landowners have generously opened field parking beside Spiggie Hide. This will be signposted.

Toilets: Portaloos located at the beach car park. The nearest accessible public toilets are in Bigton, opposite the Bigton Community Shop.

Accessibility: All-terrain wheelchairs are available to borrow from from Ability Shetland, please arrange in advance. (http://www.abilityshetland.com/.../all-terrain-wheelchairs)

Dogs: Please ensure dogs are kept on a lead, and cleaned up after.

Rubbish: Please ensure all rubbish is placed in the bins provided, or taken home with you.

Cost: This is a free event, though donations are welcome to RSPB Shetland. There is a charge for facepainting, and food vans.

Contact: [email protected]

06/08/2026

Beach Explorers in the Summer Holidays was at Sand beach today!

We found lots of interesting creatures and enjoyed seeing the beadlet anemones out of the water with their tentacles in, and how they change and unfurl when in the water to catch food! We removed another bag of beach bruck, discussing why it’s so important to remove plastic from our environment. We created life-size sand sea creatures too, including this enormous humpback whale! 🐋

Our final beach session of the summer is on Scousburgh Sands for Spiggie Open Day 2026, Thursday 13th August from 10am - 2pm! And there will be ice cream!🍦

01/08/2026

Our next session of Beach Explorers in the Summer Holidays is on the west side at Sand Beach, in Sand!

Thursday 6th August
10am – 12pm

Theme: Marine litter and Sea Creatures
🐚Beachcombing
🌊Litter pick
🐋Sand sculpture sea creatures
🔎Open exploration

Beach Explorer sessions are designed for families to connect with each other whilst connecting with nature, learn about the natural world, boost confidence outside and have fun!

Please dress for the weather with sturdy footwear, bring water and sunscreen.
No booking required, donations welcome.

31/07/2026

Spiggie Open Day 2026 is back for its third year! 🎉

The RSPB Shetland Team are hosting a range of family-friendly nature activities in the RSPB Loch of Spiggie Hide and on Scousburgh Sands, PLUS we will be joined by Da Fantin Burger, Miss Sprinkles Shetland and there will be facepainting from Vikki at Black Raven Beauty!

What's on: Beachcombing and ID sessions, rockpooling, wildlife spotting, sandcastle building, guide in the hide, birdwatching, games, guided walks, food truck, facepainting and more!

Weather: Please dress for the weather, bring water and sunscreen. Weather related cancellations communicated on Facebook.

Parking: Landowners have generously opened field parking beside Spiggie Hide. This will be signposted.

Toilets: Portaloos located at the beach car park. The nearest accessible public toilets are in Bigton, opposite the Bigton Community Shop.

Accessibility: All-terrain wheelchairs are available to borrow from from Ability Shetland, please arrange in advance. (http://www.abilityshetland.com/.../all-terrain-wheelchairs)

Dogs: Please ensure dogs are kept on a lead, and cleaned up after.

Rubbish: Please ensure all rubbish is placed in the bins provided, or taken home with you.

Cost: This is a free event, though donations are welcome to RSPB Shetland. There is a charge for facepainting, and food vans.

Contact: [email protected]

31/07/2026

Beach Explorers in the Summer Holidays at Whalsay’s Summer Days! 🌊

On Nort Voe beach we found lots of creatures, shells, pottery, seaglass, seaweeds, bones, exoskeletons of four different crabs, and cleared a whole black bag of rubbish from the beach!

Unfortunately, Rat Catchie was rained off, but we will be repeating it at Spiggie Open Day 2026 on the 13th August!

Next weeks Beach Explorers is at Sand beach, Sand, Thursday 6th August, 10am - 12pm.

29/07/2026

If you're in Unst this weekend, come along for a guided walk at Hagdale and the Keen of Hamar on Saturday 1 August, 1-3pm with local guides Gordon Thomson and Mike Pennington.
We will meet at the bus shelter at 1pm.

Contact [email protected] to book.

The final series of Species on the Edge Art in Nature is on!
Get inspired with a guided walk through the fascinating landscape of the Keen of Hamar in Unst and learn about the rare species that inhabit it. Come back for a creative fused glass art session with Cheryl Jamieson in the beautiful Glansin Glass - Unst, Shetland studio in Uyeasound.
Places are limited and booking is essential. Contact [email protected] to register and let us know which workshop you wish to attend.

Read more: https://speciesontheedge.co.uk/free-workshops-invite-shetlanders-to-connect-with-nature-through-art-this-summer/