Intrepid Travels

Keen to see the Islands we hired a car and headed North to the islands of Yell and Unst, which we reached by ferry. It was a perfect day in Shetland terms, with light winds, mild temperature and no fog! Unst has the magnificent Hermaness National Park on its north-west corner which is home to gannet, kittiwake, seagull and puffin colonies. We walked several miles on soft ground due to metres of peat underneath and came to the rugged west coast cliffs. Great skuas swooped on us, warning us to stay away from their young. Eventually the guano smell and cacophonous bird noises drew us to a massive colony of birds nestled on sheer cliff faces. It was a spectacular sight and well worth the walk. These west facing cliffs bear the brunt of the Atlantic storms and we were left wondering how the birds cope with waves smashing into their homes. Elsewhere on the island we saw basking seals and a lone otter.
Unst being the northernmost island in Britain, is home to its northernmost brewery, tearooms, post office etc. Unable to find a northernmost lunch venue, we sustained ourselves just with morning and afternoon tea.
The museum in Lerwick was very well done, with artefacts, stories and explanations of the Shetland history back to the Stone Age. In particular, it provided great insight into links to the Nordic countries and the sea.