Bearded seal makes rare Shetland visit

The bearded seal has been making itself at home in Lerwick

A bearded seal normally found in icy Arctic waters has arrived in Shetland.

Only a handful of the bearded seals have been spotted in Shetland since records began.

Local wildlife expert Hugh Harrop said the young Lerwick visitor's appearance was a "fantastic" thing to happen, and was generating a lot of interest.

One onlooker told BBC Radio Shetland: "He's so handsome and cute. Every now and then he'll brush his whiskers like a little old man stroking his beard."