To the ends of the earth

Last week we spent a few days visiting Shetland,  sharing an early flight from Aberdeen with the daily papers being delivered to the islands.  Contrary to most peoples’ expectations, we had mild, sunny weather, albeit with a few showers.

This is the sort of weather most people expect of Shetland

The capital, Lerwick, is not the most exciting of places, but there are many archaeological sites to visit and some spectacular scenery.

Eshaness Head shows the volcanic origin of the main island, though visitors have to be careful to avoid the geos – crevasses in the rock which have claimed quite a few victims, local as well as tourists.

Eshaness Head

Rock formation

One of the geos

Shetland is also a paradise for bird watchers and naturalists.  There are Shetland ponies in fields and the possibility of seeing seals, otters and even killer whales.  We took the easy way out and visited a young seal in the local wildlife sanctuary.

Scalloway was formerly the capital of the islands, but is better known as the home port of The Shetland Bus.  This was the wartime link between Norway and the UK, used for dropping off and collecting agents and supplies for the Norwegian resistance and bringing refugees to safety.

This plaque on a wall in Scalloway commemorates the fact that at some point this area was somewhere round the Equator, according to the geology.

The archaeological site of Jarlshof is quite amazing because it covers such a great timespan – approximately 2500BC to the 17th century AD.  It lies on the south of the main island, on a sheltered bay and seems to have been continuously inhabited.  There are the remains of a “broch” – similar to the “nuraghe” of Sardinia – and a Wheel house, as well as a Norse longhouse and the Laird’s house built for Patrick Stewart, a most unpleasant Earl of Orkney.  The name Jarlshof was coined by Sir Walter Scott in his novel “The Pirates”.

The Shetland festival of Up Helly Aa, held at the end of January, is Europe’s biggest Fire Festival, with replicas of Viking longboats burnt at the end. Each community has its own group of warriors, dressed appropriately and carrying shields.