Wild Beauty

The day after Uphellyaa is a public holiday for Lerwick and I am not surprised. The majority of the locals party in the Halls till 8am in the morning so having a day off is not just a holiday, it's a necessity! AW and I however thought that it would be a great day to head out of Lerwick and explore more of the island itself. I was already enamoured with the rugged coastline, rolling hills and historical sites of Shetland so I was definitely keen to explore further.

We headed out in our rental red Skoda. The roads were slippery wet and snow had been falling solidly through the night however we were careful and as we left Lerwick behind us, the conditions improved. The focus of today's itinerary was to reach Brae and the renowned Frankies Fish and Chip shop. This place is not only the UK's best Fish and Chip shop but also its most northern and we were keen to experience this. 

Before reaching Brae we decided to detour off the main road to visit Scalloway. Scalloway is the ancient capital of Scotland and the ruins of the Castle are stunning. It was built in 1600 AD by Patrick Steward, the Earl of Orkney and Lord of Shetland. The structure was built as a four storeys high rectangular block however as I gazed upwards at the ruins, my attention was caught by the parapets and oriole windows or towers that protruded from the otherwise plain walls. The castle is rimmed by low thick stone walls and it is so easy for me to imagine the life that must have gone on behind the walls and windows of this building. The cold was biting but I happily waded through the snow and slush, my finger tips freezing, as I held up my camera to capture the warm colour of the stone and clear blue sky.

Scalloway sits on a wide harbour and AW and I wondered at how close Scandinavia must be.... not so far we discover. Near where we had parked the car we discovered the memorial to The Shetland Bus. The story is that when the Nazi's invaded Norway in April 1940, the Norwegian government decided to coordinate the resistance from Britain. Norway had a history of neutrality and was not prepared for dealing with an invasion. 300 small sailing craft set out from the west hoping to reach the UK. For most of them, shetland was the nearest friendly place to land. A memorial sits at the waterfront acknowledging the mission and the lives lost in the war.

Shetland is a land of wild beauty. the snow dusted hillsides look like a lunar landscape, with the hills and valleys opening unto large lochs. The water is so clear that the reflections of the hillside and sky show up like a mirror in the water. Deserted, crumbling croft buildings are dotted across the hills, a stark reminder of the harshness of life here in Shetland. Past Mavis Grind, we pull over to admire a large loch. Looking out into the water we see a number of small animals at play and yes, they are otters! The Shetland sheep glance at us then return to ignoring us as we take their picture and breathe in the clean air. 

It's hard not to pull over into each parking place off the roadside to admire each and every view. They are all stunning. At one loch we admire the scandinavian inspired church building placed to look out across the water. At another, the snow lies thick and flows down to the water's edge, mixing with the reflection of the clouds in the sky to form bands of white across the still deep water. We pull our Skoda into the car park of a closed camping ground and from here, we gaze in awe at the rocky cliffs and the sun glowing across the sea. There are locations here where the loch is not an enclosed body of water but one that meets the ocean and one can see the waves enter the loch. Shetland is a volcanic island and it is here that one can see how the water, whether ocean or rain, has carved itself upon the stone.

Have I said its cold? It is freezing. Literally. Many of the lochs are frozen over though with a thin layer of ice. As the sun shines upon the frozen water, it sparkles and glistens. I spend some time as we drive along trying to find the right way to describe the effect without being prosaic - not like diamonds but perhaps like someone has taken a glitter spray gun and sprayed it everywhere. Still not descriptive enough to capture the brightness of the light refracting upon the frozen water. I have never seen anything sparkle so.

Arriving at Brae and Frankies, we order lots to share. Local scallops, battered haddock and chips, onion rings, home made mushy peas and tartare sauce. "How many Australian's do you think have visited Frankie's before us?" I ask AW. After some discussion we have no answer so I propose asking my followers on an Instagram post and we hope for answers.  

Driving now to the Eshaness Cliffs, we hope for more local wildlife as well as expecting more stunning views. AW is keen to see a Shetland pony up close. She is not disappointed. Driving towards the far northern coastline I am reminded of Dartmoor where the road takes us through the wild moor and the animal life stroll nonchalantly along and over the roads. Here too, the sheep nibble frozen grass along the roads edge and as we round one bend, two dark and shaggy Shetland ponies stand quietly to one side. They stand no more than 3 feet high, on short legs. The coat is dark and shaggy and no doubt keep them warm against the cold and wild conditions of the barren island. They gaze at us with dark, calm eyes.

Back in the car, we are delighted with having seen them. 

The Eshaness coastline is rugged and beautiful. I am reminded of how I love the wild Cornish coastline and what draws me to it, does the same to me here in Shetland. Eshaness was created by a series of volcanic eruptions around 360 million years ago. Over the years, the sea has eaten away at the rocks and has created the dramatic coastal scenery we see today. The cliff edges are covered with snow and it seemed to me somewhat risky to go too close to the edge. The waves crash against the rocks. It is a wild beautiful place.