Shetland
It was the BBC crime drama that sparked my interest in Shetland, the Scottish island archipelago in the North Sea with windswept landscapes and dramatic skies. My sister and two friends shared my interest in the destination so we decided to spend a week in late August exploring this remote, magical place. At 60 degrees north of the equator, summer days are long and winters are dark and windy. We were very fortunate to have a week of no rain and several beautiful sunny days.
We walked every day. It was easy to find detailed descriptions of walks all over Shetland. There are around 100 islands that are part of Shetland, 16 of them inhabited. We stuck to the mainland but could have easily spent another week exploring some of the other islands. The Atlantic side has dramatic cliffs and wind. The North Sea has beautiful coastal scenery. And there are sheep everywhere!
A local guide is such a great resource when you travel. We hired a native Shetlander, who was also a qualified archaeologist, to take us on two different hikes during our time in Shetland. Jon was a wealth of knowledge, a terrific guide and very funny. He told and showed us things we would never have found on our own!
The town of Lerwick is said to have been built on the proceeds of smuggling! In the 1600's, Dutch fishermen arrived in Shetland for the herring and traded goods legally and illegally with the locals. It's currently a charming town with about 7500 residents and plenty of shops, restaurants and a busy harbour.
In the Shetland series, the detective Jimmy Perez lives in the house pictured above in the town of Lerwick. The tourist board has compiled a series of self-guided tours across Shetland on their website that are inspired by the filming locations from the series!
We walked on several beautiful sandy beaches, usually by ourselves. Having grown up swimming in the cold water of Georgian Bay, I packed a bathing suit thinking I might go for a dip - it's called wild swimming in Shetland. But the 55F water temperature and the fact that I would have to wade in slowly (and painfully) changed my mind. I was content to walk the beach.
Not surprisingly, the Shetland pony originated in Shetland! There are almost no trees on Shetland and the weather can be wet, cold and windy in the winter. The smaller pony has adapted to the harsh climate and can withstand the wind easier than a taller animal. And they are very cute.
Several people recommended a boat tour so we boarded a twin-engine catamaran with Seabirds and Seals for a trip around the island of Bressay and the Noss National Nature Reserve. The sea cliffs of Noss are dramatic and home to thousands of gannets, a large white seabird.
Sumburgh head is at the very southern tip of the mainland of Shetland and has one of the many lighthouses on the island.There was a sign at the top that said the closest landmass from where we were standing was Norway, just 150 miles to the east. So look really carefully behind our heads and see if you can see Bergen, Norway (p.s. you can't!).
The Land Reform Act of 2003 was introduced to strike a balance between the freedom to roam and respect for private property. Known locally as the 'right to roam', it allows members of the public to access most land in Scotland, just be sure to close any gate you open! We took advantage of this act and accessed beaches by walking through fields of cows and beautiful vistas by climbing stiles and talking to the sheep!
Shetland is a beautiful, remote place. It's not for everyone but it certainly checked a lot of boxes for the four of us who fell in love with Shetland.
