Margaret’s Travel Log 8: Shetland

September 18-23, 2005: Shetland was in floor-to-ceiling cloud when we arrived on Saturday evening and it has remained mostly cloudy ever since, with intermittent drizzle. Fortunately we have been able to take advantage of occasional sunny breaks, although the wind strength has ranged from steady to strong and gusty. This isn’t abnormal weather for September up here and locals tell us the whole summer has been a bit disappointing weather-wise. However, as with Orkney, you never know what changes will occur so it’s best to carry on as normal.
Sunday was the European Open Doors Day, when lots of organisations that are normally closed to the public open their doors. We were lucky enough to happen on the Lerwick Coastguard Station and were treated to an entertaining (and informative) morning finding out what the Coastguard actually does. It cleared up enough for us to explore Lerwick township during the afternoon.

The early morning ferry to the island of Bressay, just off the eastern shore of Lerwick provided a good representation of the key features of the town: boats, ports and sea birds. No exposure adjustment was made to retain the semi-silhouette appearance of the main subjects. Taken with the Ixus 750.

The southernmost lighthouse in the Shetlands, photographed with the Ixus 750 using the tele setting. Under-exposure of 1/3 EV allowed the true colours and tonal levels in the subject to be revealed. The small camera proved very useful for taking shots in atrocious weather as it was easily carried in a pocket and very quick to start and shut down.
On Monday, the wind was at its strongest and the cloud was generally low and dark – as you can see in the photograph of Sumburgh Head [above], which marks the southernmost end of the Mainland. Nevertheless we decided to explore the southern part of the Mainland, checking out Jarlshof, which is the site of a succession of settlements, ranging from Neolithic through Pictish and Viking to Mediaeval. The site has been well excavated and visitors are treated to an excellent guide to each period. Beyond, the modern Sunburgh airport makes an interesting contrast with the ancient stone structures.
On the way back to Lerwick we stopped off at the Croft House Museum, which preserves the domestic environment that persisted right up to the 1940s here (and also in Orkney). The photograph [below] shows a typical croft interior: small, dark and rather crowded. (It was common to have three generations of a family living together.) The house is built from stone, with a turfed roof. It has two rooms for the family plus a byre for the farm animals and a workroom where farming and fishing tools were stored and repaired. Outside was another low building with an upturned boat for a roof, where peat for the fire was stored. All very cosy for a windy environment!

The Ixus 750 was also used for this shot of the interior of the Croft House Museum. The slow synch flash provided enough light to capture the very dimly-lit subject without producing an unnatural balance of tones. The camera was steadied by holding it against a piece of furniture while the exposure was made. No other adjustments were required.

This is the only time in Shetland when the subject brightness range exceeded the camera’s ability to capture the full tonal gamut. A grab shot taken inside a local shop with the Ixus 750, which was small and inconspicuous enough not to attract attention. The large screen made it easy to frame the shot. No exposure adjustment.

A rare patch of blue sky and sunlight over St Ninian’s Isle. Five minutes before this shot was taken it was raining and the residue of the rain cloud can be seen in the foreground. (The clouds and rain returned less than an hour later!) The shot was taken with the 18mm lens setting on the EOS 300D with a 1/3 EV underexposure.
Tuesday dawned dry but turned wet and windy around breakfast time, although it later cleared enough for further exploration. By mid-morning we were able to visit St Ninian’s Isle, an offshore island joined to the mainland by an elegant tombolo with different-looking beaches on each side. As we crossed to the island we had our first glimpse of an otter as it ran over the narrow sand spit. Unfortunately, by the time the cameras were out and ready for use; it had vanished into the waves. We also checked out East and West Burra, two larger islands that are joined to the mainland by narrow bridges. There are many fish farms in the intervening lochs and the headlands provide spectacular views.

A view over the loch at East Burra taken with the 55-200mm lens set at 70mm. The shot was underexposed by 3/2 EV to record the tones as they appeared naturally. Fish farms can be seen in the water in the foreground.

The northern end of Unst has similar boggy moorlands to many of the alpine areas in Tasmania and the walking tracks are similar, too. Tough, waterproof are essential. Taken with the Ixus 750’s wide angle setting. No exposure adjustment required.

Wednesday we drove north, heading for Shetland’s northernmost island, Unst. Here we planned to walk through the Hermaness Nature reserve to the northernmost headland, from which we could view Muckle Flugga and Out Stack, Britain’s most northerly landmarks. Muckle Flugga means “big, steep-sided bird island” in Norse and is home to huge colonies of sea birds. Its lighthouse was designed by Thomas Stevenson (father of Robert Louis Stephenson of “Treasure Island” fame) and built between 1854-58. It was automated in 1995. Nearby rock “stacks” were crowded with gannets, the last of the sea birds remaining after the brief summer breeding season.

Britain’s northernmost outcrops, from left: Rumblings, Tipta Skerry, Muckle Flugga (with lighthouse), Out Stack. Taken with the EOS 300D using the 18-55mm lens at 45mm. Underexposed by 1/3 EV to record natural-looking hues and tones and the shot was cropped to remove excessive grey sky.
We stayed overnight in a B&B just outside Baltasound, which boasts the most northerly hotel and post office in the British Isles then made our way back to Lerwick, stopping off at various points of interest along the way. Unfortunately, heavy cloud, strong wind and occasional driving rain made some of these less interesting than they would otherwise have been and we failed to see any trace of the otters for which the northern islands are renowned.
On Friday we had booked to go sea kayaking but it was cancelled due to a forecast of gale force winds. We’ve re-booked for Sunday morning, with the promise of better conditions.
There’s still plenty of Shetland to explore as we have seen nothing of the western side of the Mainland as yet. I hope to report on that in a couple of days.

[For more information on this location see www.visitshetland.com.]