EXCLUSIVE ORKNEY WILDLIFE DAY TOURS
Explore the untouched beauty of Orkney with our exclusive private wildlife day tours led by Raymond Besant, an Orcadian wildlife expert and renowned cameraman. Immerse yourself in the captivating natural landscapes and observe the diverse wildlife that Orkney has to offer.
ABOUT ORKNEY NATURE
Embark on a remarkable journey with Orkney Nature, where we are dedicated to providing unparalleled wildlife experiences. Our passion for conservation and environmental education drives us to deliver exceptional day tours that showcase the extraordinary wildlife of Orkney. Discover the unique stories behind our fascinating wildlife and immerse yourself in the rich natural heritage of the Orkney Islands.
MEET RAYMOND BESANT
Meet Raymond Besant, the visionary behind Orkney Nature's extraordinary wildlife day tours. With a wealth of experience as a wildlife cameraman for prestigious organizations like National Geographic and David Attenborough’s Frozen Planet 2, Raymond is dedicated to sharing his profound knowledge and passion for Orkney's wildlife with our guests.
I was lucky to grow up under Orkney’s big skies and afforded the freedom to indulge my passion for wildlife. From an early age my binoculars were never far from my eyes, observing and learning about the abundant local wildlife. When not looking for Hen Harriers I spent my summers exploring seabird islands with my camera in hand - there was plenty to be inspired by! Today I’m still happiest on the cliffs tops watching the fulmars dance in stormy weather, grey seals playing in the surf and breathing in the salty air.
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Recently I was very fortunate to be presented with the honorary award of Dr of Science (DSc) by the Robert Gordon University. After I originally graduated from there with a degree in Bioscience & Chemistry (Hons) I embarked on a career as a press photographer. My interest shifted towards photojournalism and people, leading to travels in Europe and Africa as well as documenting stories closer to home.
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I’ve now come back full circle with my passion focused back on nature. My debut film was a real labour of love, ‘The Flying Dustbin’ documented how the fulmar, a seabird related to the Albatross is affected by plastic pollution in the North Sea. The film won two awards at the International Wildlife film Festival in Montana and a finalist at Wild Talk Africa.
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It allowed me a foot in the door and I’ve since gone on to specialise as a long lens wildlife cameraman, filming for a wide range of programmes for the BBC Natural History Unit, BBC Scotland, National Geographic and Apple TV. My career has allowed me to film Wolves on the Tibetan plateau at 15,000ft, encounter Forest Elephants for the National Geographic series ‘Secrets of the Elephants’ in Gabon and calving glaciers in Greenland for the BBC Frozen Planet 2 series whilst I also regularly film on the BBC ‘Watches’ strand including my own short films.
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I still love photography and my first photographic book called ‘Naturally Orkney’ was published by The Orcadian in 2014. I put my heart and soul into photographing Orkney’s wild creatures in all weathers over two years. It was fortunate enough to be voted Scotland’s Favourite Nature Photography book of 2014. I’ve since followed this up with ‘Naturally Orkney Vol 2 - Coastline’ and I’m currently working on Vol 3. This features the wildlife of Orkney’s farmland and freshwater habitats and is due out for Christmas 2025.