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!

Shetland part 3 - Into the heart of a volcano

That's how the Eshaness area is described. It's a geopark, and has a great leaflet which shows walks and explains some of the geology.

It was a cold morning, after a cold night! I headed up to the Eshaness Lighthouse to do the coastal walk, which took about 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Was very glad of my gloves, had them on for the first hour and a half!! And had 2 fleeces on and was very glad of them too!

There's lots of stunning scenery and rock formations, all volcanic and very interesting. The leaflet that explains the geology of the area is extremely useful in helping you understand what you're seeing.

I did the detour/extension to the walk, to the Gloup and broch. The broch was, as expected, a heap of stones, albeit interesting as it was stuck out into a little lochan, more like a cross between a broch and a crannog. But it didn't seem like much really after Mousa!

red throated diver

The gloup was absolutely gorgeous, even nicer than the Deerness one. I nearly didn't go to it as I had thought how could it beat the Deerness gloup? It was just as impressive to look at, although you couldn't have paddled into this one the same as the tide didn't come the full way in - but it was lovely and peaceful, you could hardly hear the surge of the sea, just the waves on the beach in the gloup. Also the lambs, birds and the tinkling of the 2 small streams tumbling into the gloup - it was so peaceful, just gorgeous, and such a contrast to the rest of the coastline at Eshaness which is stunning but really reminds you the whole time of the power of the sea.

These boulders have been thrown up onto the clifftop during storms, which gives some indication of the awesome power of the sea here.

pillow lava

Back at the lighthouse (car park full of idiot tourists!!) and headed along the other way a bit but didn't find the blowholes (guess they have to be blowing to easily find them!).



Then I headed to Stenness beach - next stop on the 'Shetland volcano trail'. It's a nice pebble beach; apparently agates can be found here but I didn't spot any. Walked over to the other side of the beach to look at the rocks as advised by the leaflet, but to be honest I didn't really spot the vesicles (air bubbles in lava) where agate apparently forms.

Went a bit further and got a good view of the lovely wee island with an amazing arch I'd spotted earlier.

I spotted 3 kayakers heading for it (I knew the Shetland club were paddling in this area today but thought there would be more of them than 3). Anyway, I sat for a while and watched until the paddlers came through the arch - I wasn't at the best angle to get photos (and would definitely not have had time to get back to the car and round to the good vantage point in time) but took a few pics anyway - they give a good sense of scale.

Then I headed along to the museum (and toilets!) and had a quick look at some displays but was really too tired to take in what I was reading so I decided to head back to the campsite for a very late lunch, as it was almost 3pm by this time.

Shetland day 2 - a campsite with a view

It poured all night until 6.30am. The ground was very waterlogged and the tent soaking (though dry inside). I shook it a few times to try to get it to dry before I took it down! The midges were out in force; they initially followed me around while I had my breakfast below the tent, in the little garden.

I could have gone into the building, but that somehow felt like 'cheating' and not 'real camping' but I'm sure I'll soon change my tune on that one... As I walked around they seemed to have gone , great - but no, they were all waiting at the tent! Taking down the tent wasn't fun!! The midges had a feast on me......

It was a lovely but misty morning but with breaks in the cloud, threating to get sunny.

I headed to Sumburgh and had a lovely hour with the puffins, the time being crowned with an otter sighting. At first I thought it was a seal playing in the surf - but then realised from the size and shape of the body it was an otter!! Exciting, although it vanished very soon.

It's interesting seeing the airport since they extended the runways a few years ago. They reach out into the sea (which can make for an interesting experience landing there) and also have been extended right across the road at the other end, so at times the road to Sumburgh is closed when planes are landing.

I then headed to Lerwick for a think. I had planned to go to Noss but the extremely thick mist made them cancel the ferry. All day! Seems a bit early (10am) to cancel it for the whole day. Most of the things I want to do involve scenery, so the mist is really putting paid to my plans....

I went to Tesco to get some fresh fruit & veg, and was advised that when it's misty in Lerwick it can often be clearer over in Scalloway. So off to Scalloway I headed. The mist did seem to be lifting as I headed in that direction and the sky was definitely looking a bit lighter ahead. Good decision.

Nice scenery; I drove across the bridge to Burra Isle and right down both East and West Burra. Bleak but beautiful.The sky was getting brighter the whole time.

Bridge End

Hamnavoe was a nice wee village with a pier and small marina. (There's sports centres and marinas everywhere; Shetland know how to use their oil money well, unlike Orkney...)

I visited Scalloway Castle which I felt showed a lot of similarities to the Earl's Palace in Kirkwall. Build by Patrick Stewart, Earl of Orkney.

Then went a walk along the 'front' if you can call it that) and spotted the Shetland Bus memorial. By the time I'd done that, the museum was open so I went in there for a while and had a look at the displays; very interesting, especially the one about the Shetland Bus.

Back to Lerwick for petrol - and ice cream (as I'd somehow forgotten to get some yesterday!!!). Mmmmm, small tub of dairy-free organic chocolate ice cream, yum.....

Headed out again, with vague plan of heading straight for Eshaness. Then the brighter weather drew me west again, so ended up on a long detour out to look over Papa Stour - from Sandness. Small, single track road over moorland, lots of peat cuttings, very unlike the rest of the scenery I've seen so far. The last 14 miles out to the view of Papa Stour wasn't really worth it to be honest but at least I've 'covered that bit of ground' now! The first bit was lovely though - amazing views over Whiteness area. I learned very rapidly that if there's a parking sign, stop at it. Most of them were at the most scenic points, great planning (unusual for a council).

 Whiteness from above Westings campsite.

Camping bod near Whiteness 

 

 View of Papa Stour

 Then rather than going all the way back to Lerwick, I cut across via Aith. That was a lovely, scenic road, to Voe where I found this fish sculpture.

Passed through Brae, didn't like the look of it at all. Then on to Hillswick and Eshaness. Didn't stop to look at much as it was spitting a little by then, with the wind picking up and the sky dulling right down and I wanted to get to Eshaness and get the tent up before the rain came.

The campsite at Eshaness is very scenic - I've got an amazing views of Da Drongs out the door of my tent. Sat enjoying the view, with a glass of wine ... or to be honest, a red plastic cup of wine! Nice anyway...

Tent with a view......