Day 9 - Bressay

Being Saturday we started with a parkrun.  There is only one on Shetland and it is on the island of Bressay which is east of Lerwick that gives the town natural protection.  This brought back memories of Inis Meain as we had to catch a ferry from Lerwick at 9am.  We took a jumper and fleece but didnt need either.  It was very warm and more like the mediterranean than north of Scotland.  We met a couple on holiday from South Africa on the ferry and also a youngish guy from Somerset who had gone to work in the fishing industry and now calls Shetland his home.  

 

 
Location of Bressay

 
parkrunners arriving from the ferry

 
Bressay to Lerwick ferry

 
The start of parkrun (taken by Paul)

 


 
 
Almost there...

The parkrun was fun and very scenic.  Afterwards we had hot drinks and Paul had a bacon sandwich from the island cafe.  I changed my t-shirt but kept my shorts on and we stayed on Bressay and walked along part of the parkrun route and then back to the ferry.

 
The Post Office

 
Bluebells

 
View to the mainland

 
Didn't know East Ham was that scenic 😊

 
Ward Hill

 
Fishermens memorial

 
Beach at Ham

 
Bressay Church

 
Burnt Mound

 
Wheatear

 
Very young lamb and mother

 
Road on Bressay

 
Oystercatcher

 
Turnstone

 
Goosander (I think)

 
Grey Seal enjoying the sun

 
Another grey seal in the sea


 
Very pretty garden with brightly coloured model houses

 
Bressay coastline

 
Bressay Heritage Centre

 

Back at Lerwick there was a Norweigan ship called the SS Hestmanden, that was built in 1911 and used as a passenger and cargo ship sailing along the Norwegian coast (like Hurtigruten).  It was used for foreign merchant trade during both world wars.  It is the only Norwegian ship that survived 2 world wars and was considered a "lucky ship".   It is now a floating museum where anyone can visit and see what life was like on board during the 1900s.  It was very interesting. The ship is moving on to Orkney tomorrow and then to a few places in the UK and Holland before going back to Norway.  

 
SS Hestmanden

 
On board the SS Hestmanden

 
The 

Pauls knee was hurting so he sat on a seat while I explored Fort Charlotte which is just above the town and has several cannons on the turrets.  Lerwick has 3 streets that run parellel to the harbour area.  The lower 2 are where the shops are but I walked up a steep hill to the 3rd street where I found the Town Hall, Police Station, Local Government and County Court building and the Library as well as a church.   

 
Entrance to Fort Charlotte

 
Fort Charlotte

 
Fort Charlotte

 
 
Council Offices and Courts

 
Lerwick Town Hall

 
War Memorial

We had an ice cream and went back to our accommodation late afternoon and stayed in for the rest of the day.

 

 

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