Whalsay gets its own 'Swan Lake'

For the first time on record, swans have bred on the island of Whalsay.

Known as the "Bonnie Isle" Whalsay is a close-knit fishing community and the home port to some of the biggest trawlers in Europe. Now it is also home to a family of whooper swans.

Swans were seen in late May on the Vatshoull Loch after being attracted to the pampas grass recently planted on the little holm in the centre.

Initially, five eggs had been counted, however, only four chicks have been seen.

Residents monitored these swans at a distance, as the birds are prone to attack during the nesting period, a lesson nearby animals had to learn.

Sheep and ponies have been chased long distances up the hillside, though Whalsay's human residents have escaped the swans' wrath so far.

Whoopers are known to breed in small numbers throughout other parts of Shetland, mostly on the Mainland. The first breeding took place in 1994 when a pair in North Mainland successfully raised a family of three cygnets, the same pair went on to bring up two chicks in 1995 and three in 1996.

There are not previous records of the birds breeding in Whalsay.

In adulthood, whooper swans length can range from 1.4-1.6 metres, a wingspan of 2-2.8 metres, males can weigh almost two stone and have an average lifespan of nine years.

There are 15 breeding pairs of whooper swans in Shetland this year, as they appear to be gradually increasing throughout the isles.

Plan your visit to Whalsay with our guide to the "Bonnie Isle"