Simon Parker braves the rain and wind to see Shetland’s wonderful wildlife and stunning landscapes minus the summer crowds.

Shetland Islands, also called Zetland or Shetland, group of about 100 islands, fewer than 20 of them inhabited, in Scotland, 130 miles (210 km) north of the Scottish mainland, at the northern extremity of the United Kingdom. They constitute the Shetland Islands council area and the historic county of Shetland. Among the settlements on Mainland, the largest island, is Scalloway, a fishing port. Lerwick, also on Mainland, is the islands’ largest town and commercial and administrative centre.