Shetland 2016, Epilogue

On the last day I decided to walk up the hill behind the croft to get the best possible view before going home and Catherine and Cory joined me. This was just as well as I had no idea how treacherous hill walking can be in Shetland. Catherine pointed out the boggy areas to save me from getting wet feet but more relevant was her advice on quicksand and it's dangers. Poor Cory nearly succumbed but, with his four paws and light weight, he scrambled out.
We clambered on over heather and sphagnum to almost reach the water tower which is easily visible from many points in this part of Shetland.

View back down the voe to the sea

Catherine, perched on a rock.

Cory, enjoying the exercise

On the way back we encountered some of Shetland's famous natives and saw the sheep patiently awaiting clipping (or clubbing as I misheard earlier in the week!)

Luckily we just had time on the drive into Lerwick to snap a couple of views from the outside of the croft where my grandfather grew up. There would have been less houses then but I doubt the scenery has changed much in the 100+ years that have passed.

Shetland 2016 Day 6

As Catherine was planning a barbecue for tonight we thought we would be having a quiet day around Bruntiskerry but a surprise invitation to go out on the boat with Jimmy was too good to turn down.

He keeps his boat at Walls so a short drive down the road and we were there and off out into the voe.

Surrounded by the sides of the inlet it was calm and peaceful. We went right up to Reesthness where we had visited Robert's house last year and saw the activity in the salmon enclosures.

It was a little choppier as we reached the open sea and stopped to try our hand at fishing.

Jimmy had the only success of the day with  his 1st line, pulling in 4 mackerel. Despite trying a couple of his favourite spots, putting on the music and the faith of our accompanying seagull we failed to get any further fish.

Nevertheless we had an enjoyable couple of hours and David got promoted to 1st mate and steered us successfully home while Jimmy cleaned the catch.

Later, despite the weather, Catherine had a lot of friends and family over for the BBQ. Sadly it's the end of our trip and we set off for home tomorrow.

Shetland 2016 Day 5

After an unusually late start David and I got dropped off in Walls to do some separate relative visiting. David went to see his cousins, Loretta showed him her award for carding and spinning yarn from sheep's wool and David has a vast collection of old family photos and his research.

 I called into the care home to catch up with Mattie, my mother's first cousin.

She is so like my Mam that I spent quite a bit of the visit in tears. She is so lovely and bright, she was telling me about her work in Southampton during the war, about her brothers and where she had lived and what she is planning for my Christmas present!

The other residents were also chatty and I got talking with them about the current proliferation of Lucky Minnie's Oo (Oo is the Shetland for wool. We know it as Bog Cotton) The older folk here are saying it is an omen for a severe winter!

For a change we took the bus from Walls into Lerwick and had a browse round the Archive and shops then had a pint waiting for Jamie to catch the ferry. We finished the day with a meal at the Ghurka Kitchen and popped in to see Wilma and Jimmy before heading home.

Waiting for the bus at Walls

Shetland 2016 Day 4

We knew we had to leave on time today as Finlay and Catherine had a family funeral to attend. Their younger son has lost his father in law who was a great community figure as well as a beloved family man. They collected their older son from the overnight mainland ferry and, suitably and smartly attired, they were all ready on time to leave for the ferry to Yell.

David and I dropped them in Aywick, where Mark lives and where my Great Grandfather lived with his first wife and children.

We drove up the island to Tony Gott's Bayanne HQ and spent an hour with him. I don't think either of us gleaned much additional information but we had some facts ratified and left with some new avenues to research. I did give him some photos to add to his site.

On Tony's recommendation we drove to Gossabrough with our picnic lunch.

We drove all the way around the island and stopped off at the beautiful beach at West Sandwick where more of my further back ancestors were born.

Thankfully we delivered Finlay's car back in one piece and tracked back to the ferry home.

Shetland 2016 Day 3

We set off northwards, first driving around half of Muckle Row, an island reached by a small bridge and only partly accessible.

After a coffee and tea break at Busta House, as we continued our drive, Finlay suddenly slammed on the brakes and did a quick reverse in the road. He thought he had spotted a pair of  Red Throated Divers by the road, Sorry I'm not a twitcher and don't know what these are. There were definitely two ducks in the pond so we took photos and drove on??

Our stop for lunch was Hillswick and an old fashioned hostelry, which was once the destination for P&O passengers landing in Shetland.

Just next door was a seal sanctuary run on a purely voluntary basis. The baby seals looked appealing but smelt appalling!!

We drove on again to visit a grave yard, 

Donald Robertson's Gravestone, Esha Ness, Shetland

The stone is engraved with an inscription, with a copy on a plaque:

"DONALD ROBERTSON, born 14th January 1785, died 4 June 1843, aged 63 years.

He was a peaceable, quiet man and to all appearance a sincere Christian.

His death was much regretted which was caused by the stupidity of Laurence Tulloch in Clothister (Sullom) who sold him nitre instead of Epsom salts by which he was killed in the space of 5 hours after taking a dose of it."

We passed dragons teeth.... 

and arches in the sea stacks.....

.....until we finally arrived at Eshaness and after a brief toilet stop we were at the cliff tops near the light house. We had been promised a different landscape and weren't disappointed. We stood in awe and trepidation (ie jelly legs, nowhere near the edge) looking at high volcanic cliffs. Finlay really worried Catherine as he balanced precariously taking photos, after all he had the car keys!!

Forgot to mention at the start but today we were accompanied by the lovely Greta

Shetland 2016 Day 2

After an early start to get to Sumburgh Head for 9.30 we joined a prearranged walk around to see the numerous sea birds.

We couldn't resist taking this sign and Finlay acted out the part to demonstrate the humour.

We backtracked and drove up to Compass Point and around the airport noticing the two different beaches on either side.

We continued driving up the South Mainland visiting the old water mill at Quendale ....

....... and the beautiful Peerie Spiggie and Spiggie beaches.

With the weather improving all the time we arrived at the renowned St Ninian's Isle which can only be reached by walking across the tombolo (strip of beach). Finlay certainly kept the best for last!!

The tombolo

View from the island, looking south

View from St Ninian's Isle
back across the tombolo