Week #127 Island hopping around the Shetlands

After an absolutely wonderful first few days on Shetland puffin spotting and exploring some of the most beautiful beaches and coves, we decided to head north and do a bit of Island hopping around the Shetlands.

Unst

Our ultimate destination for the night was the Isle of Unst but to get there you have to get 2 ferries and drive the length of the Isle of Yell. All for the very reasonable sum of £19.30 return. The only stipulation being that on the way out you must not stay for the night on Yell – you can do that on the return.

The ferries were really easy to do (they do advise pre booking in peak season) but we just turned up. They are really quick and really small - taking no more than about 12 vehicles. They work almost on a relay system, so once you get to Yell, the Unst ferry is waiting for you at the top of the island which is about a 20 minute drive. The whole journey took no more than an hour in total.

If we thought it felt remote on Mainland Shetland then Unst was like being in the back of beyond – which we loved!

We had earmarked a park up right up on the North of the island for the night at Hermaness nature reserve. I think we probably passed no more than 5 cars on the journey up the island. We made an impromptu stop off when we spotted a life size replica Viking longboat - It was quite magnificent and even more amazing you could climb on board and explore it! The ship was called Skidbladner and was part of a Viking display in the village of Haroldswick – the replica long house next to it was equally as impressive to explore and we had it all to ourselves.

Still on puffin watch we parked up at Hermaness and immediately set off on a hike to find the cliffs – I had not quite anticipated how far away they were and had taken only my binoculars and camera – no thought for food and water!

It was at least 3km to get across the boggy moors on a boardwalk before we even reached the cliffs and another 1km to get to the bird colony. The cliffs were IMPRESSIVE! It was another WOW moment as we rounded a corner – you could smell and hear the gannet colony before you could see them. There were literally thousands of the elegant cream coloured birds swooping and diving around the cliffs. We sat and watched them in awe for quite some time, sadly we saw only 2 lonely little puffins hopping around next to their burrow. It was nearly 9pm before we got back to the van so it was a quick tea and bed.

There is so much to explore on Unst and we spent the next day visiting lots of places highlighted in the Wild Scotland Guide and a Shetland Guide by Charles Tait. First stop was Britain’s most northerly beach – Skaw Beach. To get there we needed to drive past Saxovord Spaceport which is still under construction – it felt like a scene out of a James Bond movie!

Next on our list was Haroldswick bus shelter which is renowned for its comfort -complete with a chair, a small library and some toys. We found another stunning beach on a walk around Sandwick Bay and had a quiet hour dozing in the sun before heading back to Hermaness.

Richard had on his bucket list a walk to the point from which you can see Muckle Flugga Lighthouse which is also on a tiny group of islands which are Britains most northerly islands. This was another long hike to the cliffs but this time we were rewarded by the site of lots of puffins! There were thousands bobbing around on the waves in the sea below the cliffs and as we sat and watched them, some started flying back to their burrows which were just below us. They hopped about and groaned at each other totally oblivious to the fact that we were there sat amongst them!

We had seen a poster on the ferry that you could use the showers and facilities at Unst Boating club for a donation so after 48hrs in the wilds we headed that way for a good scrub! It was a fantastic facility that has been recently renovated – it had a camping area and you could park there for the night for a small fee. Showers were £3 each and worth every penny. We loved our 48 hours on Unst and explored more of the quaint little harbour towns and beaches on the way back to the ferry port.

Yell

We had fantastic weather for our time on Yell and spent a quieter 2 days exploring the fabulous beaches and sunbathing. We discovered Breckon Beach which is on the north shores which I think is probably up there in our top 10 favourites now! We found a couple of great park ups using park for the night – the island felt very quiet and we only saw a couple of other campers out and about.

Fetlar

Fetlar is a small island that has a population of around 60 people and is renowned as a great place for bird spotting. It was not the greatest day weather wise but we decided to hop across any way.

We followed a marked hike that I had seen on a leaflet that I picked up in the ferry waiting room – I say ‘marked’ – I think we got lost after about 50m and spent 3km walking through marshes and bogs! There were pretty views though and we called in at the community café for tea and cakes after, so all was good. There are a couple of pretty, sandy beaches on the island and a small museum – enough to keep you busy on a day trip.

Shetland

For the next few days we based ourselves around the north of the island on the Northmavine peninsula. There is so much to do and explore here. We spent a night by Eshaness lighthouse which was just magical. The cliff tops by the lighthouse are apparently famous and have been used in a few TV scenes and adverts. They were incredible with the white peaks of the waves crashing over the craggy rocks below. We did a 10km hike along the cliffs and over the purple moorlands which were also very striking. We loved exploring and photographing the derelict buildings and also came across an ancient chambered broch.

The Scotland Wildguide came into it’s own in this area and we found some of the most spectacular scenery and places that we would never have known existed if we had not read about them in the book. Ronas Voe Cliffs was one of these locations. It is a 5km round trip to get there but we knew it must be worth it when we chatted to a local farmer as we passed through his yard and he said ‘I hope you’ve got your camera with you cause you’re going to need it!’ I will just let the photos speak for themselves.

The other place was Uyea beach – which can only be reached by a 15km round trip hike. I had seen a couple of photo’s and was determined to get there.

Leaving Richard to navigate I think we were at cross purposes of where we were headed as he had spoken to a local who was all excited by some ruins that are on a beach by a causeway to an island – Richard assumed they were the same thing and directed us there – they were not the same thing and by the time we had hiked 5km – we were in completely the opposite direction!!  The ruins at Fethaland were very lovely and the views fabulous but they were not Uyea beach and we had run out of time and energy that day to make it there.

So I made Richard return the next day to hike to Uyea beach. It is a long hike along a farmers track for 6km then 1.5km across the long grass meadows until you get to the cliffs and there is no hint of the sight that you are greeted with until you drop down within 20m of the beach! But it was definitely another WOW moment. It was like looking down onto a scene from a Caribbean movie with its deep blue waves lapping over the white sands with small rocky alcoves and green grass topped stacks. It was both surreal and beautiful. After the long trek to get there and the tricky scramble down to the beach – we had to take a swim in the sea with just one lonely puffin bobbing around next to us for company.

On our last few days on the Shetland Islands we headed back south – we wanted to stay at a park up we had visited previously as we had really enjoyed our night there but disaster struck! As we drove down the road towards the park up, I could see what looked like clouds of smoke but as we neared it – it was actually swarms of midges and bugs. The weather was much calmer and still which had bought them out. We made a hasty retreat and headed back to Sumburgh lighthouse instead which we knew was high on a cliff and there would be a breeze.

It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as there were more puffins there than ever! Speaking to one of the bird enthusiasts that was photographing the puffins apparently the non-breeding puffins return just before they all go out to sea for the winter. We could see a definite change in behaviours with lots of groaning and chatting in small groups and the odd spat between puffins when the strangers were nearing their burrows. It was quite sweet to watch. Even better though was our only sighting of a puffling who was peering out of a burrow on the cliffs opposite. They do not have the colourful markings of the adults and are hard to spot with their grey colourings. It was a beautiful evening with a fantastic sunset over the bays that surrounded the lighthouse.

The weather forecast for the next few days was fantastic with 18 degrees and blue skies so we decided to have another beach day at St Ninians which is a stunningly beautiful tombolo causeway beach. The sea looked so inviting – OMG it was freezing!! It was lovely top see lots of holiday makers out on the beach with the children having fun.

That night we stayed near Meal beach as there is a toilet block there thinking we would be tucked out of the way in a quiet spot but it turned out to be exactly the opposite! It was amazing to see what a lovely community there was - a big group of wild swimmers met up and lots of local families had an evening down on the beach. Some of the teenagers had a sleepover on the beach.

Our last day on the island was pretty miserable with heavy rain and wind so we did a big shop in preparation for our next part of the trip on the Orkneys and hunkered down for the night at the fantastic Scalloway campsite. For anyone visiting the island, I would highly recommend the campsite with it’s brand new facilities which included a nice kitchen area with a microwave and several dining tables. Ideal to get out of the van when the weather is not great and also perfect to be more social and meet other people. At £31 a night the cost may seem expensive but is in line with many campsites on the mainland and you can do a load of washing and drying for free so we thought it was great value.

We had a couple of hours before the ferry to have a good look around Lerwick – we had previously landed at 7.30am from the overnight ferry and everything was closed on our way through 2 weeks ago. It is a really pretty little town and it was heaving as there were 2 huge cruise liners in the harbour. We managed to get away from the crowds and discovered the pretty little harbourside cottages. I love the contrast on one photo that I got of a Viking long boat and a humungous ship next to each other.

So that was our time on the Shetland Islands. It has been the trip of a life time and we were so blessed with the weather which for most days was warm enough to be out about in shorts and a t-shirt. It is hard to put into words just how amazing the islands are, there is so much to see and take in. There is something for everyone. Richard has revelled in the history and exploring the islands past. I have loved the scenery and the wildlife – well the puffins! We have hiked well over 100km in 2 weeks and have marvelled at how gorgeous the beaches are – why has no-one ever really mentioned them before?

We truly could have spent another 2 weeks there with more islands to explore and history to find so I am sure that we will return one day.

In our next blog we will be exploring Orkney and doing a bit more island hopping to Hoy and Westray.

Have a great week

Jackie and Richard