Day 11 - The Northern Isles of Yell and Unst
We started off very early with a 30 minute drive to Toft. It looked like it was going to be cloudy but soon the sun came out and stayed that way for much of the day.
Our main objective was to reach the very north of the UK and have a photo showing the Muckle Flugga lighthouse which marks the UKs northern boundary.
Firstly we got a ferry from Toft to Ulsta on the south of the island of Yell. We drove north to Gutcher at the north of Yell and got another ferry across to the south of Unst. The cost for 2 passengers and 1 car for the return ferry (4 rides) was less than £20.
On arrival on Unst we first went to Muness Castle, one of the few castles that remains standing in Shetland.
We then went to see a Standing Stone, again not many of these on Shetland, compared to Orkney.
Our 3rd stop was to see replicas of a Viking Longboat and Viking Longhouse at Haroldswick. It is thought that the Vikings first set foot on UK soil at Haroldswick in Unst.
We then made our way to Hermaness which is a national nature reserve at the very northern end of the UKs territory. We parked and started the climb up. After about half a mile the gravel track was replaced by a boardwalk which went on for well over a mile. This was a bit springy but lovely to walk on and was much better for Pauls knee. The boardwalk ended at the cliffs and we had the choice of going left or right. Right took us a little further north and nearer the lighthouse but it was a long walk on uneven cliff tops before we could see the Muckle Flugga lighthouse. Left took us to a gannet colony and view of the lighthouse and was much shorter. Paul preferred the shorter walk so we did that and were not disappointed. Soon the lighthouse was visible and we took our selfies. I then walked up to the Gannet colony and could smell it before I saw it. There were thousands of nesting birds on the cliff face. I also saw a couple of fulmars but no puffins. We were just 380 miles south of the Arctic Circle and closer to it than we were to Edinburgh.
On our return we visited the UKs most northerly Gin Distillery where Paul tasted quite a few of their gins and then bought a bottle of his favourite. We took lots of scenic photos while on Unst.
Our last stop on Unst was a Bus Stop. It is called "Bobbys Bus Shelter". Several years ago a schoolboy called Bobby got fed up getting wet and cold while waiting for his school bus and wrote to the Government asking for a better shelter. The government responded and provided a good weatherproof shelter. The locals then started to provide other comforts like carpet, a sofa, books and curtains. This has become a bit of a tourist attraction. Bobby is now in his thirties and has long since left Unst and is studying for his PhD in Glasgow, but the legacy of his Bus Shelter continues. It takes on different themes each year and this year it is in recognition of the importance of insects.
We went to get the ferry back to Yell. We had quite a long wait as there were 2 big lorries waiting and they both took up quite a lot of space leaving less room for the cars. A sea mist had started to form and suddenly we couldnt see the island of Yell from Unst.
Once back on Yell we went to a small peninsular that was recommended in several tour guides. Apart from some really nice view points we couldnt see why this was different from anywhere else. I did find a very photogenic Shetland Pony in a field. As we were driving along we saw an injured lamb, possibly hit by a car. We stopped but the mother was being very protective so we left and eventually found a farmer who said he would go and take a look. I hope he was able to find and save the lamb.
We then found the UKs most haunted house, but were unable to drive to it. It is on the top of a hill and we couldnt see a footpath so just took photos.
After that we went to a shop that is in the tour guides. It sells everything - a real Aladdins Cave. We had a good look around and bought ice creams. I also bought a new sports bra - I said they sold everything. The shop had lots of nooks and crannies and sold almost everything. I saw kitchen items, stationery, gardening tools, plumbing items, books, clothes, greetings cards and garden compost and plants. We were surprised to see a bottle of German wine in the shape of a double bass. I have never seen that before. It was almost £32 so I am sure it will stay in the shop for a long while to come.
We made our way back to the ferry terminal at Ulsta but kept stopping as the views were amazing.
We caught the ferry back to Toft on the Mainland and drove back to our accomodation. We had been out for over 12 hours and were both very tired.
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