A week in the Shetlands

Arriving early off the ferry we located the camp site and replenished our food stocks at the super market and had a look around Lerwick including a walk over the local hill, giving a good panoramic view of the town. The weather turned nasty about lunchtime and continued to rain all the next day. The forecast for the next 3-4 days was for much of the same so we decide to rent a van for a few days and head off north. This proved to be a good option as we saw most of the islands, far more than we would have on the bikes. The Shetlands are a treeless landscape, with peat moors and heather coated hillsides. It is barren and windswept with dramatic coastlines. However the people are amazingly open and friendly, despite the seemingly remote lifestyle they lead. When we asked a lady we meet at the northernmost village if she felt isolated, her reply was, "It's where I am." This summed up the Shetlands for us. We will let the photos from the many islands we visited  tell the rest of the story.

Lerwick main street

Lerwick

Narrow streets

Ancient Broch

Lerwick from the hill

Lerwick houses

Lerwick broch

Broch

Scalloway castle

Crypt at Tingwall church- ancient headstones

Chas couldn't resist taking the rental van 4WDriving

Ancient standing stone

View of eastern coast of main island

A viking evening we attended with local music and food at Uyeasound... great night including the whiskey!!!

Viking McKenzie

Muness castle built in 1598

Northern most house in UK

Great Skua and chick at Hermaness Nature reserve

Interpretation panel at nature reserve

Rugged northern coastline

Mucle Flugga lighthouse ( as seen in the TV doco 'Islands of Britain'.)

This picture sums up the isolation of the Shetlands whilst retaining services to the people.

Watch out for the wild Shetland ponies!!!

Yeah right... !

Coastal landscapes by the miles

And more!!!

A touch of history everywhere, an old fishermans house

.... and all around the heather!