Notes from Shetland: Part 6: Finale

Just to tidy up a few loose ends at the end of our stay, I thought I'd include a few shots of the places we visited on Days 2 and 3 that I could not upload earlier. Nothing more to add other than to say that Shetland is well worth a visit.

Puffins at Sumburgh Head. It turns out that we were very lucky to see as many as we did. They were absent on subsequent evenings and, perhaps, those we saw were just 'casing the joint' prior to some serious nesting. The pair above clearly had some pre-nesting activities on their minds!

 

Circular houses at Jarlshof. Stone built with a turf over wooden poles roof. Very thick walls which, if made draught proof, would have given the inhabitants pretty good protection from the elements.

 

The tombolo joining St Ninian's Island to Mainland. Tombolo? That's a ridge of beach material (typically sand over shingle/pebbles/rocks), built by wave action, connecting an island to the mainland. Google 'tombolo' if you want to know about refractive wave action and the dynamics of tombolo formation. 

 

Circular houses at the Scantness Norse Village. Later in age that the houses in Jarlshof shown above. These are called 'wheel houses' as they had rooms coming off a central space rather like the spokes of a wheel. Again with turved roofs.

 

Mousa Broch with my IWC to give some idea of scale. Despite the blue sky, gloves, woolly hat, thermal undergarments and warm clothes were the sensible dress of the day (and every day for that matter!).

 

Inside Mousa Broch. This is dry stone walling with a vengeance. The gaps lead into small rooms and the stairs between the walls.

 

Mousa Broch in a panoramic view of the island and the channel between it and Mainland. Sumburgh Head is way in the distance.

 

I love watching waves crashing over rocks and the way water runs back into the sea.

 

Ruins and birds! Sums up our break on Shetland very nicely.