Hugh Harrop

Hugh founded the award-winning eco-tourism business Shetland Wildlife in 1992 after spells working for Fair Isle Bird Observatory, the Shetland Oil Terminal Environmental Advisory Group and the RSPB. He is regarded as one of Shetland's top birders and naturalists, is a regular contributor to several birdwatching magazines and journals and author of Where to Watch Birds in Shetland. Although Hugh's main interests are birds and their identification, he also has a passion for all other aspects of natural history, especially whales and dolphins and Polar Bears!

Hugh is also a feature writer for several European natural history magazines, an award-winning photographer whose work has been widely published in journals and newspapers throughout Europe and North America, photographic consultant to the journals Scottish Birds and Seabird, a member of the Shetland Bird Club rarities and general committee, a former committee member of Scottish Wildlife Trust and a founder member of both Organisation Cetacea (ORCA) and the Shetland Sea Mammal Group!

Hugh is a regular visitor to Finland and Arctic Norway and openly confesses to being addicted to the region – so much so that he and his beautiful wife Michelle got married in Lapland!

For Hugh, there are few more rewarding sights than huge flocks of King and Steller’s Eiders on a wild sea, amid stunning winter scenery. Norway’s Varanger peninsula, lapped by the waters of the icy Barents Sea, is situated 320 km above the Arctic Circle and is one of Hugh’s favourite locations for winter photography.

As the director of Shetland Wildlife, Hugh chooses Finnature as his chosen and partner ground agents for all his organised holidays in to Finland and Varanger. He believes both companies share the same ethos and working practices. Having operated and guided photo trips in the region now for many years, Shetland Wildlife and Finnature have teamed up for two spectacular winter-wildlife holidays operating from 13 – 20 March & 20 – 27 March 2010. Click here for further information and scroll down to see some of Hugh’s work from Finland and Varanger from the last two years.