Alice Lomas has her heart stolen by the Shetland Islands
Around 100 miles off the north tip of mainland Scotland lie the Shetland Islands – the most northern part of the UK. Sitting between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, these remote islands are closer to Bergen in Norway than they are to Edinburgh! We have always enjoyed the ‘road less travelled’ and, for us, the Shetland Islands became the ultimate place to get away from it all.
Two days travelling up from the Midlands had got us sitting on the dock in Aberdeen waiting to board the vehicle ferry, Hjaltland. As it was our first large ferry trip in our ’van, we felt some trepidation, but there was no need to worry. The ship was huge and it could easily fitting even the largest motorhome on board – indeed our Renault Master campervan sat between two haulage trucks and seemed small in the space.
We left Aberdeen at 7pm, and spent 12 hours crossing 224 miles of open seas. The cabin we’d booked was clean and comfortable, and there seemed a fair amount to do to fill the time. After a quick look in the little shop and perusal of cinema opening times, we headed into the Feast Restaurant for our evening meal.
As we got further into the open sea there was some rolling, but thankfully none of us experienced seasickness. Apparently this crossing can be rough in the winter, but it’s a very large ship and our summer crossing was very calm. We got a good night’s sleep on the comfortable beds and got up early ready to depart. Breakfast was stunning sitting by the window watching cliffs appear on the horizon as we sailed into the harbour of Lerwick – the Mainland’s largest town.
Driving out of the ferry terminal into Lerwick was momentous for us. As a family we have been all over the UK, and up into the Scottish Highlands many times in our ’van. But we had never been on a ferry before, and never been so far from home. Only three other campervans and motorhomes were with us on the ferry, and we felt like pioneers as we drove onto Shetland soil.
Our first stop on the Mainland was to the Crofthouse Museum. This restored thatched crofthouse is presented in the style of how most people in Shetland lived in the 1870s. Two friendly Shetland ponies were munching grass in the paddock and this gave a very pastoral and historic scene. I could imagine what life would have been like for remote crofters here.
At the southern tip of mainland Shetland, Sumburgh Head Lighthouse is certainly worth a visit. Perched on the cliffs, it watches ove
