Day 8 - Arriving in Shetland

The ferry was on time, very smooth and we managed to sleep well.  We had breakfast on board and after disembarking, parked up and had a walk around Lerwick.  It was lovely and warm, even at 7.30am and we didnt need jumpers.  There are no cranes, road works or building works going on, so good to get away from all that.  There was quite a lot of traffic for such a small town.

 
Lerwick from the ferry

 

 
Main shopping street in Lerwick

 
Main shopping street in Lerwick

 
View of Lerwick from the harbour

We didn't know how long it would be before our accommodation woukd be ready so we drove a bit further afield.  Firstly we went to Scalloway,  on the east side of Mainland.  Here we learned about the Shetland Bus.  This was a WWII secret operation whereby a supply route between German occupied Norway and Shetland was operated.  There are several memorials around and the islands have a great tie with Norway.  After a short walk along the sea front we had a coffee and cake in a local cafe. 

 
Church of Scotland - Muckle Kirk

 
Colourful houses in Scalloway

 
Norway House - where Norweigian sailors stayed 
while on Operation Shetland Bus

 
Memorial to all Norweigans who lost their lives 
during Operation Shetland Bus

 

We then explored the islands of Trondra, East Burra and West Burra, all of which are linked by narrow road bridges. There are some lovely white sandy beaches with no rubbish, only bits of seaweed.  We stopped at Minn Beach where the sea was crystal clear.   The inhabitants of these islands are mostly sheep farmers.

 
Minn Beach

 
Young lamb with its mother

 
Minn Beach and entrance to the bay

 
Minn Beach

 
Great Northern Diver or Common Loon

 
Minn Beach causeway

 
 
Senic view from West Burra

 
Fugla Ness lighthouse from Hamnavoe

 
View at West Burra

 
Small Harbour at Trondra

 
View from East Burra to West Burra

 
The Burra part of Shetland explored today


We had a call about midday to say our accommodation was ready so we made a quick visit to Tesco and then checked in and unpacked. We had a rest then dinner and went for a walk into Lerwick and went to a pub for a drink.  It was quiet when we arrived but then crowds of young women came in all dressed in glittery clothes.  It looked like they had been to a hen party and were quite noisy.  There were at least 30 of them so we left when we had finished our drinks.  



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 21 - Airdrie to Silloth

Image
We left our small but comfortable B & B room in Airdrie and made for the town of Moffat.  I remember mum and dad coming here on one of their visits to Scotland and saying how nice it was. Moffat is a lovely touristic town and there is quite a lot to do.  Parking is free and unlimited all along the central section of the wide main road.  The town was originally linked to the wool industry.    The Ram statue at Moffat   Moffat Church   The narrowest hotel in the UK   Clock tower on shop   Street in Moffat   Residential street in Moffat   Moffat Town Hall We had coffee in a nice little coffee shop and visited the Moffat Wollen Mill outlet centre as well as looking around the shops. It was lunchtime when we left Moffat so we decided to drive on a bit and find somewhere quiet to park.  We made for Locherbie which also looks a very nice town.  We couldn't find anywhere to park and Paul didn't want to walk again so we tried t...
Read more

Day 20 - Aberdeen to Airdrie

Image
We both had a good night's sleep and docked in Aberdeen on time.  Our car was on the lower deck so we had to wait an extra 30 minutes before getting off as they unload the main deck first.  Paul spent the time having a second breakfast.  We had use of the business lounge which is included if you book a cabin.   First stop was the car wash which we had used before going over to Shetland as the car is now covered in dust, sand and seagull cr@p .   A Samsung news item appeared on my phone saying Shetlanders were angry that a cruise ship had allowed nearly 4000 passengers to disembark in Lerwick knowing that a severe sickness bug was circulating around the ship and many were in quarantine.  It was only realised when one of the ships tour guides told the coach driver about it after passengers had boarded his bus and he alerted his boss who halted all tours.  That is why we saw so many of them at The Knab yesterday.  Apparently the town centre...
Read more

Day 12 - Lerwick and South East Shetland

Image
We slept in this morning and took our time over breakfast.  We visited a little shopping centre near where we are staying and found some interesting shops.  We then walked to Clickinim Loch, a small lake in the centre of Lerwick which has the remains of a Broch on it.  It is not in the most attractive of locations as it is surrounded on 3 sides by buildings including Tescos.  There were a few birds on the water including a cormorant, mute swan, grebes and some mallards.  While walking alongside the loch we saw an otter.  It kept surfacing and then quickly going underwater again so difficult to take photos of.  I got a couple of stills and videos.  A local, walking his dog, asked us what we had seen.  He was surprised to find there was an otter there and then he saw it for himself.  He said there cant be many fish in that loch.  We assumed the otter would cross the road back to the sea if it wasnt finding any food.    Loch ...
Read more