Sunday 30 June 2013 – Symbister and Whalsay

A bit windy and unsettled for sailing, so we biked and walked on the island

Beenie House, stone-age dwelling

Puffin. Normally they nest in burrows.

Ancient planti-crub still being used to grow cabbages

Peat cutting – small scale

Saturday 29 June 2013 – Out Skerries to Symbister

Left Out Skerries by the South entrance (called South Mouth). We carefully followed both leading lines and then went the wrong side of a pot marker which had a floating rope across most of the narrow entrance.  After a bit of panic trying to avoid the rope we ended up with it tangling in the prop and fending the bow off from the rocks.  Fortunately the water was deep at that point and the rock blanketed the sail from the wind.  I pulled on the rope and was surprised to find the rope cutter had done its job!  So we soon got away undamaged and started trying to concentrate on the pilotage to Symbister, which required avoiding several skerries. We arrived with fair tide through the Sound of Linga just as the local skiffs were starting their race.  These boats are more highly modernised than the ones we had seen at Westray, complete with built-in buoyancy and powerful modern rigs.

Follow the track of this day

Leaving Out Skerries by the South Mouth –
on the leading line

Which side of that pot buoy should we go?
Not much room between it and the beacon.
Its rope stretched the other way!

In harbour at Symbister, together with big trawlers

Symbister. Fishing boats old and new

Friday 28 June 2013 - Out Skerries

Lots of rain.  Loafed about in the boat. Eventually it cleared up and we went for a walk. One notable feature was the number of cars on the road on such small islands - it seems that the cost of taking the car on the ferry is minimal so there is no impediment to having your car on the island

The footpath crosses the runway. No planes coming

NE Mouth where we came in

Harbour and South Mouth

Sheltered position at the pier

Thursday 27 June 2013 – Fetlar to Out Skerries

After a quiet night at anchor the fine weather seemed to still be with us, so we went ashore again (without bikes).  Countryfile were due to film on the island and were supposed to film a game of Hnefatafl (a Viking board game) acted out on the beach by real Vikings.  We thought we might watch.  However there was no action so we walked along the island, eventually reaching the bird hide, where we met some proper bird watchers and saw the Red-Necked Phalaropes for which Fetlar is an important centre.  Returning to the beach we found that the Vikings were a man short, so Pat was dressed up as a Viking and joined them.  Eventually we left and sailed to Out Skerries, where we had a few tense minutes motoring in the North Mouth in no wind with the swell breaking on the rocks of both sides of what felt like a very narrow entrance.  Moored at the pier.

Follow the track of this day

The row of stone structures are planticrus –
shelters for raising young plants. Unused for many years

Planticrus close up

Les and Joanne shearing Shetland sheep.
They have 200 and shear about 10 a day

Les and Joanne’s Shetland cows

A bunch of scary Vikings

Hnefatafl – a Viking board game

The scary Vikings act out part of the game for Countryfile

Sunset just after our arrival in Out Skerries

Wednesday 26 June 2013 – Mid Yell to Fetlar

As the weather seemed settled for a day or 2 we decided to visit Fetlar which does not have any proper harbour (except possibly for a small new marina included in the new ferry harbour at the NW corner, but we did not find out about that until later).  We anchored in Wick of Trestra (wick means bay) and took the bikes ashore.  Visited the bird hide but saw nothing, visited Funzie and saw the special conglomerate. Then we walked along the cliffs to follow one of the geological trails.  Eventually gave up as the directions were too vague for us.  Still no birds at the hide when we checked on the way back.

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Leaving Mid Yell voe

Geo wall explaining geology of Fetlar

Funzie (pron finny) conglomerate

The boat in Wick of Trestra

Tuesday 25 June 2013 – Balta Harbour to Mid Yell

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Balta Harbour: French boat (the Zulu Leenan Bank),
us, mussel farm boat, Norwegian boat

Mussel farm boat at work

in the marina at Mid Yell

Monday 24 June 2013 – Unst

A day ashore by bike.  Went to Norwick Beach and followed one of the geotrails regarding the Shetland Ophiolite.  On the way back we stopped at Keen of Hamar nature reserve to look at the special plants there

Keen of Hamar Nature Reserve is mostly serpentine
gravel with only a few plants growing on it.

Moss Campion

Sea Campion

Frog Orchid

Edmonston’s Chickweed, Endemic to this spot

Northern Rock Cress

Balta Island, which shelters Balta Harbour

Sunday 23 June 2013 – Balta Harbour, Unst

Grey, cold, wet and windy (F5-6).  We did not feel like doing anything so spent time on the boat reading, knitting etc.  Late in the afternoon we moved and anchored a short distance further out as the anchor chain had been snagging on rocks in a most annoying way.  Afterwards it was much quieter – wish we had moved much sooner.  The French boat have invited us over – it will be very welcome to sit near their stove!

Tomorrow we may finish exploring the island.

No photos

Saturday 22 June 2013 – Unst

Visited the boat museum and the Unst Heritage centre.  We had earlier met a man trying out a small home built dinghy.  We chatted and he encouraged us to visit the Boat Museum, saying that he had donated a boat to it.  It later transpired that he was the founder of the museum, had donated several boats and had made various replica boats.
The Unst heritage centre had a really good geological display. The island is particularly interesting and contains a geopark.  We picked up an excellent leaflet but have not yet had the weather to follow the trails.
Returned in rain and spent ages drying the bikes and everything else. It would be nice on such occasions to have a proper heater in the boat – our one uses expensive and hard-to-get Camping Gas

Part of the geological display at Unst Heritage centre

My turn to steer the replica ship

Prospecting – not sure what the rock is!

The antique horse-drawn chromite crusher

Friday 21 June 2013 – Whale Firth to Balta Sound

Rather damp and misty, which was a little disappointing for our rounding of Muckle Flugga, which is most northerly part of the UK. Just to make sure we also went north of the outlying skerry, Out Stack.  Not much of a sailing day, with a light following wind, so some motoring was also needed.
Arriving at Balta Sound we found that the expected pontoon was not present, so anchored in the bay, which is very sheltered, rather than be the third boat in a raft.  An old French boat was also anchored.  It is a Zulu, and is heading for Spitzbergen, via Norway, with the intention of doing some climbing.
Preparing to go back to the boat we met some anglers we had seen offshore earlier.  They were in good spirits having caught a number of cod, the largest of which was 29lb.  They gave us a small one

Follow the track of this day

Mussel farm boat at work in Whale Firth

Approaching Muckle Flugga. The rock on the left is Out Stack

Muckle Flugga from the N

On leaving the boat, the mist came in.
We are to the R of the French boat

Shetland ponies

Cod, just about to be filleted

Thursday 20 June 2013 – Ronas Voe to Whale Firth

After a grey and rainy start for the day, we had a leisurely breakfast and by the time we were ready to leave the sun was coming out – isn’t it nice when we are not up against a tidal gate!

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Leaving Ronas Voe

Impressive rock scenery at the mouth of Ronas Voe

Stacks off Point of Fethaland. Fulmar flying past