In the last entry we didn't mention a few of the other highlights from Unst. One was the bus shelter which we stopped in on the way up. Equipped by a local person with sofa, chest of drawers, TV, ironing board and iron (but no electricity). There were also flower boxes and we met the man, from a neighbouring house, who kept them watered. The interior design is themed, so with the Tall Ships visiting, it had a boat theme, with cushions etc suitably decorated. It made a really nice stop to rest and eat chocolate (our staple when we are getting tired and the weather is deteriorating). No buses came but there is actually quite a good bus service on the islands. We are told the bus shelter has its own website but we haven't looked yet!
Close to the bus shelter is Keen of Hamar. A rocky area where very little will grow and there are tiny plants there that grow nowhere else. It is thought to be how the Shetlands would have looked at the end of the ice-age.
We also enjoyed the boat museum in Haroldswick on Unst. The boats included a coracle and a folding boat, invention of the man who also invented the screw propeller and something else that amused us but neither of us can remember what it was. I was fascinated by the amount of trade that was going on across the North Sea even 4000 years ago and by the time the Vikings colonised the journey to Bergen would have taken just 2 days.
We left the north of Unst on a cold, wet, windy day but the wind was behind us. We arrived at the ferry to Yell just as they were putting the barriers down but they let us on, though the remaining cars had to wait an hour. We were thankful not to have to wait as there was no shelter. But on the other side there was a warm cafe with excellent food and a large jigsaw to do while waiting. We were also lucky with the next ferry as the boat was just coming in. Then down to Voe where there was the camping bod that we had hoped to book in to. No signs of hotels or B&Bs and on a cold wet eve4ning no people about except one woman who knew where it was and that it was run from the pub just round the corner. Yes we could stay and eat at the pub. We got a peat fire going, hung out our wet things to dry and went round to the pub for a good meal.
The next day there was less rain and the wind still behind us for most of the way, but the route did twist and turn through beautiful countryside. The small town/village of Aith ran a cafe in the community centre where we had lunch. In these remote places you never quite know what you are going to find and when it is good home cooking on a windy day it is an added bonus.
We camped at Levenwick about 8 miles north of Sumburgh, the southern most point. The campsite overlooked the sea and had a kitchen dining room where you could admire the view in warmth. The next day was our last full day and we had a lot to pack in. There are two very interesting prehistoric sites. Jarlshof is the largest and was found more than a century ago when a storm blew off the top layer of sand and has been excavated over the last hundred years. Walter Scott used it in his book The Pirate and gave it its name. there are amazing buildings in stone dating from4000 years ago and then they were used as rubbish pits and new ones were built, so you can see the change in style and development and then a big change when the Vikings came. The other site was found recently when then started to dig into a hill to build a new road by the airport. We arrived just as they were about to do a tour given by one of the archaeologists, which was fascinating. There was an amazing amount of the houses left, large and round built in thick stone, all dry stone without any cement. There was one replica house with its turf roof and a peat fire going. I was quite loath to leave as it was raining.
This was next to the airport and the main road went across the runway. There were quite a few planes coming in at the time and I just prayed the cycle chain wouldn't break, or some other disaster as we went over.
It had stopped raining by the time we got to Sumburgh Head where there is a lighthouse on the cliffs and an RSPB station. The lighthouses of the Shetlands and Orkneys were built by the Stevenson family which included the author Robert Louis Stevenson, who used his knowledge of the country from the visits to the lighthouses in his novels. Lots more puffins nesting up there, but we were told there were very few chicks, thought to be due to the lack of sand eels, taken for such things as organic fertilisers.
We returned to the campsite via a side road, going past Spiggies Loch where we were told the hotel did very good meals. We found it but were told we would have to wait an hour if we eat there. We waited, had a good meal but were now late and wanted to go to St Ninian's Isle on the way back. This is joined to the mainland by a 'tombolo' a stretch of sand and shells that is only covered by sea in storms. It kindly stopped raining and walking over in the evening light was something we will remember. We took rather too long to find the remains of an ancient chapel there. so it was getting dark by the time we walked back. This was the first time we had cycled late when we needed lights, a sign that already the days are becoming shorter. We cycled back over the moors as the light faded and with the eerie cry of birds I could believe any of the ghost stories we had read in a book at the campsite.
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