A hobby project to photograph, identify and record the microscopic life in the freshwater lochs of Shetland.

By Kenny and David Gifford

Latest Site Visits

#156: Skula Water

 8

June 16th, 2026

#155: Heilia Water

 45

June 6th, 2026

#154: Lochan at Gonfirth

 45

August 23rd, 2025

Species

Recorded in project to date:

  • 168 Species
  • 131 Genera
  • 91 Families
  • 2536 Records
  • 6370 Record Images
  • 26 Record Videos

Lochs

107 lochs and burns visited to date.

About

This website is intended as a hobby project by father and son Kenny and David Gifford, with the aim to photograph, identify and record the microscopic life in the freshwater lochs of the Shetland Islands. It is hoped that this website will be of interest to students of freshwater biology, anglers, naturalists, ecologists, as well as casual observers. The website is updated as a blog, with records photographed and added to the site after each loch visit…

Notice regarding identifications

Please note this is an amateur project. Best efforts are made to identify species. However this website should not be relied on as a reference. Assistance with identifications and taxonomy is very much welcomed — please contact us.