Helen Perry

Scottish Tourist Guide

Tour leaders

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Helen Perry is a former Shetland headteacher who swapped the classroom for a life shaped by wildlife, sea air and wide skies. She moved to Shetland 21 years ago, raised her family here and has never looked back. This place is part of her now – she lives and breathes Shetland. 

An experienced, enthusiastic and accredited ‘Green Badge’ Scottish Tourist guide, Helen loves sharing Shetland’s stories, landscapes and wildlife with others. Walking is her favourite way to explore, and over the years she has covered almost the entire coastline, discovering hidden beaches, dramatic cliffs and quiet corners along the way. If there’s a cliff path or quiet stretch of shore, chances are Helen has walked it. She also loves camping, especially close to the coastline, falling asleep to the sound of the sea under wide open skies and even, on occasion, the beautiful aurora borealis, or ‘Mirrie Dancers’ as they are known in Shetland. 

When not on land, Helen is usually next to, in or on the water. She snorkels, kayaks, paddleboards and swims but her real passion is watching and photographing Shetland’s wildlife. Her favourite animal is the otter and she loves spending hours photographing them in the kelp, or following orcas up the coastline with her camera. A number of her photographs have been recognised in publications and competitions. 

Helen does occasionally stay at home but even then she’s usually planning the next Shetland adventure! 

You can meet Helen on our : Shetland holidays: 6-days exploring Scotland’s northernmost isles.

A message from Helen on the May 2026 tour: Safe journeys everyone – you have been an absolutely awesome group, I’ve really enjoyed spending the week with you, thank you!