Our Tours
- From April through to October: On our ‘Book Now” page (link top right) you will find our online booking calendar which displays our daily tour start times, weather permitting we operate seven days a week. All our 5-Star tours are TWO HOURS PLUS with refreshments provided in a tranquil little bay at Noss. Twice weekly on selected days, we provide an early morning photography tour to capture the sunrise morning light. Our tours at £60 for adults & £30 for under 16’s are priced to be as low and inclusive as possible, we believe this offers incredible value for money. All tours depart from Victoria Pier Lerwick, ZE1 0EL. You can find out more about our 5-Star tours by clicking on ‘Our Tours’ link further below. You can book/pay online using our easy-to-use online booking system or contact us directly and we will get you booked on.
- Safety at the heart of what we do: In the interest of passenger safety, comfort, and welfare, we always sail with a minimum of two crew, this gives you a richer experience and to make sure you have an unforgettable tour, our dedicated guides ensure you are having a great time all of the time. We can take up to 12 passengers on each tour.
- Awe-inspiring sights & sounds: Get up close & personal to this extraordinary seabird metropolis, home to 25,000 Northern Gannets and thousands of other seabirds towering the sandstone cliffs of Noss. Superb opportunities to see and photograph Shetland’s wildlife against the stunning backdrop of the 181-metre-high Noss cliffs. We spend quality time at the Cliffs which has fantastic photography opportunities.
- Amazing gannet diving experience: We bring along fresh fish to give you the opportunity to see gannets encircling & diving right alongside the boat, always a great highlight.
- Local Knowledge by expert local guides: Your dedicated guides provide fun and engaging live commentary to suit all interests/ages and welcome any questions you may have. Individual headsets are provided for each passenger so you can hear your guide(s) fully throughout the tour. We share our great knowledge on the wildlife, local history, geology and folklore that surrounds Lerwick’s harbour. We explore the South Coastline of Bressay where we share our knowledge on Bressay Lighthouse, the Orkneyman’s Cave, the Giant’s Leg Rock arch and so much more.
- Refreshments, equipment & something for all the family: We anchor in a tranquil little bay which offers plenty of wildlife & photography opportunities, to enjoy hot or cold drinks and a selection of biscuits…always a great highlight. We provide binoculars, identification charts (braille format also) and charging ports throughout the cabin. Our tours are very family friendly with onboard activities to keep young sailors entertained. Each get a FREE Eco-Friendly sealife activity pack. Adults receive 20% discount voucher to use at a choice of two local business establishments. We have our Seabirds-and-Seals merchandise available for sale onboard and also on our online shop.
- NO.1 Choice: Our tours offer by far the best value, boat, crew and experience due to all our onboard facilities/services. We have many excellent TripAdvisor ratings and come highly recommended.
- Will We See Cetaceans? Not guaranteed on our tours, but if really lucky…we may see porpoises, the occasional whale or dolphin. With sharp eyes of two dedicated crew on every tour, we are always on lookout and you could be on no better boat. As a business with 31 years of experience, we continue to lead the way for responsible boat-based ecotourism. At all times we follow the Nature Scot Marine Wildlife watching code and we are also WiSe accredited operators, proudly adhering to strict protocols to minimize disturbance to marine wildlife.
- Underwater Viewing Spectacle: If sea conditions prevent us getting you out to Noss during your time in Shetland, we are sometimes available for wildlife-filled inshore trips to look at the urban wildlife so prevalent in Lerwick Harbour, like a bespoke tour just to watch seals. If sea conditions allows on the day, we can showcase what the South coastline of Bressay has to offer. After viewing all that’s above, we can launch our ROV mini submarine and show you a variety of sealife below whilst enjoying a refreshment.
- Well-Established & Longest Running: Thirty one (31) years on, Seabirds-and-Seals remains the original and longest established Noss Boat Tour Business, entertaining visitors and locals alike. This award-winning enterprise was founded in 1992 by Naturalist Dr Jonathan Wills. Skipper Brian has been actively involved with the business ever since it began and in 2017, along with his wife Marie, they bought the business from Jonathan, maintaining the business ethos and reputation as The Original – and Number One Noss Boat Tour Business. All these years later, we’re still sailing under Jonathan’s originally created brand ‘The Noss Boat’. As with any business takeover – a new series of TripAdvisor and Google reviews started in our first season (2018), all continue to be extremely positive and show how popular our tours are.
- Award-Winning Tour Operator: Our Noss boat tours has received Visit Scotland’s Prestigious 5-Star award, which is the highest award you can achieve. In November 2023 we WON not one but two awards in the Highlands and Islands Thistle Awards under two amazing categories. We won ‘Best Visitor Attraction’ and ‘Inclusive Tourism’. It is an honour to be recognised by these prestigious awards, known as ‘Scotland’s tourism industry’s Oscars’. We have won major recognition at the Scottish Enterprise and UK Enterprise Awards. Earlier in 2023 we were awarded ‘Wildlife Tour Operator of the Year ’ and ‘Best Wildlife & Photography Boat Tour – Scotland’. Every year since taking over the business, we have won TripAdvisor’s Excellence and Travellers’ Choice Awards due to our consistent excellent reviews. Also in 2023 we were delighted to be achieve a ‘Green Tourism Silver Award’. Being Green Tourism Accredited shows that we are eco-friendly and committed to working responsibly, ethically and sustainably.
- Holiday Highlight: A trip aboard The Noss Boat ‘Seabird’ is a highlight for many as shown in our many fantastic reviews and from the number of awards won. We provide a high standard of customer care and welcome any questions you may have.