Setting Sail

We’ve reached our final day of island life on Shetland. We’ve been exploring more beaches, visiting Lunna Kirk (the oldest church still in use in Shetland,) walking more of the coastline near Lerwick and at Minn beach and taking time to ‘sea watch,’ which is a popular pastime in Shetland I have learnt.

We also found trees! Kergord has Shetland’s largest tree plantations and was a joy to explore on an overcast morning. 

So that’s our island hopping adventure over. We catch our 17th ferry of the summer back to mainland Scotland tonight. What a great summer adventure! 

Shetland’s Skies

At times this week I’ve just stopped taking photos. The landscape here is so hard to capture in a picture. The skies and seas constantly change with the clouds and the light. From soaring sea cliffs to broad peat moors to windswept beaches, always accompanied by big skies. 

Our walking highlights have been at Eshaness along the staggering cliffs, on Muckle Roe to The Hams and at Hermaness to see Muckle Flugga; the UK’s most northerly point!

Wildlife sightings have included seals, gannets, great skua, oyster catcher, red throated divers, whimbrel, dunlin and the Shetland wren among lots of others. Still no whales though.

Unexpected treasures were discovering a Chelsea Show winning garden that had been moved and replanted in a local community garden, a brilliant heritage centre museum that was housed in the former primary school on the island of Unst just down the road from a replica Viking Longship at the side of the road, and the ‘White Wife,’ the figurehead from a German vessel that was shipwrecked off the coast of Yell. The full story is here: https://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/shetland-blog/the-white-wife-of-otterswick/ and is also told brilliantly at the Old Haa museum, housed in one of the oldest buildings in Shetland.

So, after ferry hopping to Yell and Unst, we now venture south back to Mainland for a few days before our BIG and final ferry from Lerwick to Aberdeen next week. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about our island adventures.

Still Heading North - Shetland

Leaving Orkney on the overnight ferry, people had told me how different I would find Shetland and they were right. Driving out of Lerwick on sweeping roads that seem to go on forever with the sun burning away the morning mist lingering over colourful houses, it felt more Norwegian than Scottish. I also immediately understood why people had told me Orkney seems more remote. Perhaps it’s because of the money associated with the oil and gas industry in Shetland, I’m not sure. One thing I was glad about was that there seemed to be far fewer cattle here! Phew! Much better when walking with a dog.

I decided to make the most of the blue sky and headed south to Sumburgh Head, driving across the runaway for the airport (bizarre) and visiting Jahlshof on route, a site looked after by Historic Scotland with ruins from the Iron Age, time of the viking settlers and medieval times.

We then went to the UK’s longest tombolo which is a beach connecting the mainland to St Ninian’s Isle. What a perfect place to spend the rest of the day and night. We walked around the isle, went in the sea on both sides of the beach and enjoyed a stunning sunset after a short, sharp thunderstorm with some fellow campers from Scotland and Belgium. Perfect end to a busy first day on Shetland!

Next the road took us to Scalloway to an excellent museum that tells more about the story of ‘The Shetland Bus,’ a special operations group that linked Shetland and Nazi occupied Norway during the Second World War. I walked to see the memorial to those involved who lost their lives, which is built from stone from both Shetland and Norway. 

After our jaunt south, we were back in Lerwick and missed a sighting of orcas by 20 minutes! I am hoping I will have another chance during this trip to spot them. After a visit to the brilliant Shetland Museum while I waited for the clouds to disappear, we took the ferry (yes another one!) to the island of Bressay. Here we had the rest of the day walking various routes, taking in the views across to Noss, the lighthouse and from the top of Ward Hill, the highest point on the island.

Today I ran the UK’s most northerly park run before heading back to Mainland to continue our journey north and west. A coffee stop at ‘The Hatchery’ second hand bookstore (I could have happily spent ALL day here,) a walk to Culswick Broch, a visit to Shetland’s original cake fridge, a swim (for Poppy) at a waterfall and a delicious chip shop supper has completed the most perfect day on the road. 

Feeling very grateful as I settle down in the van for the evening with a new book and a cake fridge treat. Poppy of course is already fast asleep.