Bonnie Shetland

The aeroplane was only small but it engendered enthusiasm because it had its tail painted in tartan. Ah Bonnie Scotland I thought. I like your style. It might have been a bit grey and drizzly as one walked across the tarmac to enter the plane but that did nothing to curb our enthusiasm for we were on our way to Shetland! The home of Vikings, Puffins, DI Jimmy Perez and our favourite tipple, gin. Mind you, you can find artisan gin distilleries almost everywhere across the UK these days. But I digress. Ah Shetland, the home of Uphellyaa, Guizers and Jarls! 

Sumbugh airport is small. It appears to have one run way and it crosses the  main road therefore cars are controlled by traffic lights so they don't cross the runway as planes are in transit. Truly. I have pictures to prove it. Arriving into the mainland island of Shetland is fine but it appears that departing, the runway just drops into the ocean, so indeed, up up and away! Our hire car was ready and waiting so we had an easy drive of half an hour into Lerwick. From this drive we had our first glimpse of the wild beauty of Shetland. Our vista could take in from one side of the island to the other in one sweeping glance. 

Shetland is treeless. And while it may appear barren, it is a beauty. Black faced sheep graze the terrain, a rough coastline drops dark rocks into the ocean, small ponies of brown and white stand stoically on the ground. I love this place, this wildness, already.

Upon arriving in Lerwick, we were greeted by our delightful Airbnb hosts and then left to our own devices. AW and I were thrilled. Despite the cold temperature of 3 degrees, we keenly explored Lerwick for the next five days. Fine craft shops line the main street and jostle for position with a range of appealing cafes and bistros. Jewellery stores beckon with Orkney silver and Celtic designs. Every window features Fair Isle knitting.

Lerwick is the home of Di Jimmy Perez, the much loved detective in the Anne Cleeves "Shetland" series of novels made now into a popular TV series. His grey granite built home sits in the old part of Lerwick. Its stone worn away by the crashing of the North Sea as it sits suspended into the water. Often Jimmy is seen entering his house or sitting on the rocks nearby with a drink in hand, contemplating the grey skies and the dark workings of the human heart. Like many before me, I walked through the Lodberries area of Lerwick and look for Jimmy and happy to take the ubiquitous selfie at his front door.

The Shetland Islands are justifiably proud of their local produce. There are some items that make me smile - Puffin Poo for one, a sweet concoction of white chocolate and coconut. Today a haggis pasty for dinner, purchased at the Uphellyaa Food Festival held at the Shetland Arts Centre which I preferred over the packet of salt-dried cod. A tasting of local gin, salt and honey mead was enjoyed. Dinner one evening at the local The Dowry excelled - a starter of a poached egg deep fried, served with fresh slaw and slivers of pan friend black pudding, a Shetland lobster risotto and parmesan crips, a dessert of chocolate and pear tart. Good coffee! At the Shetland Larder, brunch of a caramelised onion and cheddar crepe and strong coffee fortified us for the day. 

At the heart of Lerwick is the Market Cross. It is a small pedestrianised area though the locals seem to drive their cars down the narrow street with impunity.  Our apartment sits above the local wine shop in Commercial St.  Everything is but a step away though occasionally one can hear a slightly sozzled town inhabitant making their way home late at night, or a visitor to the Cash Point - the electronic tap tap of the machine echoing out in the quiet, dark street late at night. Its location also means an easy walk to the town's other key attraction, the harbour.

Lerwick Harbour is full of activity as numerous ferries travel in and out carrying both foot passengers and cars. The smaller ferry goes across the harbour to the island of Bressay while  the larger North Link ferry takes 12 hours overnight to transverse from Aberdeen to Lerwick. Fishing boats of all sizes moor in the harbour, their colourful hulls of orange or blue brightening the view, while smaller sailing craft lie to the Lodberrie side of the harbour. Small yachts and skips pulled in for over winter however indicate how busy the harbour must be with pleasure craft in warmer weather.

One can see the Island of Bressay, its low rolling hills today are dusted with snow. There are no trees on Shetland as the wild North Sea winds have stripped such growth away many years ago. Houses are built, as are all the main buildings here, out of dark stone. Their windows are small and doors thick as they keep out the elements and their inhabitants safe and warm inside. At Jimmy Perez's house, you can clearly see the way the sea has battered its walls and worn away the granite steps down to the rocky outcrop I could not easily describe as a beach. On the hillsides quietly grazing, I can see the small Shetland ponies that these islands have given their name too. Short of leg, strong of bag and with a calm, thoughtful demeanour, these ponies are easy to love, even for me who has no experience with ponies/horses!  A white pony grazes alongside the roadside while his friends in shades of brown and grey dot the hillside. They must be used to tourists for they pay me no mind. For a moment, the white pony gazes at me wondering if I have some treat to share no doubt, but when that fails to materialise he turns his head back and continues munching on the cold grass.

The Shetland Museum and Archive was worth the visit. It sits behind the modern steel structure of the Mareel, the local Arts Centre. Walking around the back of the Mareel I expected to see a similar modern structure however the museum sits more comfortably into its environment. The flagstone pathway merges into the stones at the water's shore, a small inlet from the harbour with its own old fishing boat hulls pulled up onto land. A clear reflection that for Shetland its history, as like its current day, are inextricably linked to the sea. This is clearly manifest in the museum. As you climb the staircase from the ground upwards, an open space above has boats reflecting the many uses of the sea, on display. From the ground with a large, weathered timber boat to the upper levels showing small fishing boats and at the top, a yacht with its red sail catching an unfelt breeze.

The museum has taken a modern approach with its displays of artefacts based thematically throughout the building. The early islander life shown with the archaeology - Pictish stone crosses, bowls and hunting implements, and a recreated hut showing how these people lived on a daily basis. In close and cramped quarters for sure! In another area, more recent Shetlander activity is celebrated and displayed. The crafts of lace making and knitting are presented and their history explained. Shetland wool is highly prized and make for wonderful knitwear - the fair isle knitting pattern drawn from the island on which it is named for. Up Helly AA, the Viking fire festival held in Lerwick on the last Tuesday of each January is the largest and best known of a range of such festivals across the islands. It started only in the last few centuries but has grown to be a huge draw card for tourists and Viking enthusiasts the world over. It is after all why AW and I are here!

I have long felt an affinity for wild coastlines which is probably why I have loved Cornwall so much but here in Shetland I find a similar wild coastline and it has drawn me in. The safety of the harbour and the low hillsides of Bressay on its other shore show a softer Shetland beauty however not far away is the dramatic rocky coastline.  The  picturesque lighthouses out on the cliffs edge on a calm day, would surely come into their own in the midst of a wild winters storm.