Shetland part 4 - kayakers at Eshaness

Was cooking beans on 'toast' when I spotted the kayakers - 11 of them, beatifully moving across in front of Da Drongs - photo opportunity!!!! Forget the beans, grab the camera.....

Got a few pics, then they vanished so I ate lunch. Then I got to thinking - maybe they were having a late lunch too (it was 3pm!), was trying to work out if there was a way to get to the top of the cliffs to look down at them and photograph them , like I did at Marwick Head in Orkney 3 years ago when Shetland CC were down. Decided it must be possible, but finding somewhere to park (that wasn't a passing place) wasn't easy!

I trekked across the boggy moorland (lots of nice bog plants like bog asphodel), hoping all the time that:
1. I'd get to where I *thought* I was heading for (can't see the cliffs from the road); and
2. that the kayakers would still be there!
I was in luck and timed it perfectly, they were just starting to head out after their long lunch break.

Got some great shots, then followed them back to the amazing 'red beach' I'd spotted on the way out.

Then I cut back across the hill to the car. Headed for Hillswick and spotted 3 kayaks heading off - but then saw the rest on a sandy beach. Took me a while (and a fluke of seeing people walking where I didn't realise there was a path) but eventually found my way down to the beach and had a great chat with the Shetland CC members. Most of them headed off to collect the cars, I stayed chatting to Deborah and Mavis and helped lift all the kayaks and gear over the gate. Was rewarded with fresh mackerel for my tea!:-)

By this time it was nearly 7pm, so headed off to the capsite and cooked my mackerel for tea (with oatcakes, and fried onions and peppers done with garlic, ginger and spring onion, exceedingly tasty).

Quiet evening, read for a while, chatted with folk from next tent, then went a walk to escape the midges!!! Went to Braewick beach (access from the campsite) and saw some seals, and fish jumping in the lagoon.

The midges were quite bad there too, so I headed off for sunset at the lighthouse. Lovely views, and stayed there for quite a while enjoying the light in the sky.

What a day!