Shetland Sojourn 2018: Part 1

All of the posts on this trip are written in retrospect.  As it turned out, time seemed to fly and blogging proved to be elusive.

We are back in Shetland for a week in a rather nice rental property overlooking Oraquoy Bay on the east side of mainland, the largest island. We were last on the islands at around the same time of year in 2013. No doubt we'll be visiting some of the same sites this time around but the longer stay will enable us to see a few more.

Day 1 was spent travelling up (home to Bristol to Aberdeen to Sumburgh) but we did find time at the end of the day to go into Lerwick, the 'capitol' of Shetland, for a walk around before getting a fish supper.

Day 2 was a busy one: an abortive walk on St Ninian's island (rain, rain, rain), bird watching and coffee drinking at the RSPB reserve on Sumburgh Head, a visit to the Jarlshof settlement (4000 years of occupation) and then a successful revisit to St Ninian's island for a circumperambulation. A great way to spend a day and, apart from the rainy spell in the morning, the weather was very much in our favour. It was hot even.

Parts of Lerwick leading down to the harbour were very steep but not all had such elaborate iron work to help pedestrians. Much nicer than a plain old hand rail, methinks. If I'd had the time, I would have taken great pleasure in walking up one side and down the other to give both hands a chance to experience the feel of cold metal against skin.

From the pier, looking back into Lerwick Old Town. No Jimmy Perez or Tosh is sight. Perhaps they were off catching baddies somewhere else.

One of my infrequent excursions into the monochrome mode of my camera. The skeletal structure of this seed head just stood out on the cliff in front of where we were staying.

We were to see this Common Seal almost every day of our stay. But we never saw much more of its head than this.

Common Guillemots on the cliffs at Sumburgh Head. They are certainly not a bird that dislikes crowds. I'm just reading a book on the origin of bird names and the book tells me that Guillemot is derived from the French form of the name William - Guillaume. Why? Was there a Guillaume who looked like a Guillemot? The mind boggles.

The Puffins were back but not in any great numbers. Just a few really - the advance group to check things out and organise a welcoming party for the rest of them.

Whatever their numbers, they are always a delight to see. A true seabird, living at sea for many months of the year and just coming ashore to breed. Their entire lives are spent on the sea or facing the sea. There is absolutely nothing for them to venture landwards for.

Puffin as sentinel, scouring the horizon for his mates.

I do love a nice trig point, I do. This one on Sumburgh Head, just behind the lighthouse, was an easy visit. As the flush plate shows, its reference number is 10543. A common Hotine pillar design which was completed on 6th August 1959, How's that for a piece of useless information? There's more to come.

Just down from Sunburgh, on the coast is the prehistoric and Norse settlement of Jarlshof. Occupied for over 4000 years, it's probably the most famous of the archeological sites on Shetland. These are some of the ring houses that can be seen there.

Some other ring houses with the ruins of the 'castle', a fortified manor house, in the background.

A good site to wander around and soak up the atmosphere. I don't think I've seen so many quern stones in one place. They obviously spent a lot of time grinding stuff for flour. Or maybe they were crushing spices for their curries? Jarlshof/Jahlfrezi - is there a connection? Those Vikings got everywhere in their longboats.

Some more querns. A little imagination and you can picture the effort that went into using these.

From Jarlshof, looking southwards back towards Sumburgh Head with its lighthouse on top.

An afternoon walk in the sun (and wind) around St Ninian's Island. Just under 5 miles with easy directions - just keep the sea to your left and don't fall off the cliffs.

Looking over some skerries towards Sumburgh Head in the distance.

The coast guard helicopter hovering above us. A very noisy intrusion into the tranquility of our surroundings but they do a worthwhile job so there's no room to complain.

Hovering of a different kind - a Fulmar riding the updraught from the cliffs. An anthropomorphic digression: we (Mrs P and myself) often wonder if birds actually get some sort of aesthetic pleasure from being able to fly. Do they enjoy the freedom they have? Or is it something they just do without thought?

Joy of joys. The trig point on the island is the closest to a cliff of all the ones I've/we've visited. Spectacular posiiton for S9542 Pillar which was completed on 27th July 1959 and cost £39.9s.5d. What was that I was saying earlier about useless information?

Three Fulmars enjoing the sun and having a natter.

St Ninian's Island is joined to the mainland by a narrow strip of sand which, under certain tidal conditions, does get submerged. This geographical feature is termed a tombolo - defined as a narrow strip joining an island to another island or an island to the mainland. Walking across at high tide must feel a little lie Moses parting the waves.

Ringed Plover. A resident wader in most of the UK but more likely to be a winter visitor in Cornwall. We were to see lots of them during our stay but not one of them was kind enough to stay still long enough for a good photograph.

Common Eider Duck, a true sea-going duck that rarely ventures from the sea. Breeds in northern regions but is occasionally seen in Cornwall in the winter. The male is the flashier of the two.

Another venture into monochrome. I think it gives this shot (unposed) more atmosphere.