SHETLAND
Shetland is an archipelago
of islands, off the northern coast of Scotland. Its position at the border
between the Atlantic and North Sea puts it nearer Norway than England.
Ever since the vikings came and settled, visitors have come to the islands to
admire the beauty and peace of the place. Modern day visitors have included
thousands of migrating seabirds, on their way to and from the arctic, hundreds
of holiday makers, and now us......
The six and a half hour car journey, would normally see us just about
anywhere we usually dive in the U.K. however this time was different. We still
had another 14 hours on a ferry to go, before we would arrive at our chosen
destination.
We found the food and drink on the ferry to be expensive, and some were
disappointed with the quality. We ignored it completely, waited until we docked,
and had a smashing breakfast at a fraction of the cost, in a nice little cafe in
Lerwick.
Lerwick is the capital of the islands, and is a bustling little town, mainly
due to the oilfields which lie offshore. Away from the main centers of
inhabitation, the islands are a picturesque mixture of voes and hills, which
provide shelter from the North Atlantic winds.
There are the traditional farms and crofts all over the island, but the magical
peace and solitude of the place, mean that it is possible to drive for miles,
and see nothing else on the road.
We all knew that there was a chance of unsettled weather, and so as not to
disappoint us, the first day was a deluge of rain and wind, and we all wondered
what we had let ourselves in for. But it was only a temporary setback, as the
following day the sun returned and the weather remained sunny thank goodness, we
were informed however that we were lucky.
Our party was split between
two cottages, one was a mile or so from the village of Voe, on a working
croft.
It was the original house that the owners used to live in, before they built
a more modern one nearby.
However the old one had a character that new houses just don't have, and
they have plans to modernize it and move back in.
One of our cottages in Shetland
The central feature was a peat burning stove, which took forever to light and
warm up, and had always gone out by the time we returned from diving,
unfortunately for us it was the only form of heating.
Opening the door to stoke it with more peat, resulted in the room being filled
with smoke, to such an extent that it sometimes obliterated the No Smoking sign
on the wall ! perhaps we were doing something wrong.
The resident dogs were very friendly and always excited to see us, and who says
free range eggs don't taste better ?
The other house was some 20 minutes away, at the end of a single track road,
more accustomed to having rabbits and sheep roaming over it than cars. At least
we had the luxury of an electric fire for instant heat. The visitors book in our
accommodation, gave references to sightings of otters in the voes, but sadly we
did not see any.
Meals were done on a self
catering basis, and we all ate together in one of the houses each evening.
We had a delightful meal one night after collecting some local scallops.
Delicious !
That evenings entertainment was was
provided by Mike and Rick.
Don't give up your day jobs lads........
Pic on right - The Mike and Rick show
A visit to the Mid Brae Inn for a meal is a must, we had some wonderful food
there. The salmon was excellent and the steaks succulent, there was so much on
your plate it was difficult to finish.
Be patient if you go, as it was very busy when we went. The girl behind the bar
was very apologetic, as we had to wait some time, but it wasn't her fault, she
had to serve both the drinks in a busy bar, and all the meals, so don't blame
her, she needs more help.
We dived with
Selkie Charters
run by
Colin and Linda Ruthven, who are based in Voe.
Our location in the center of the mainland, meant that we had good access to
both sides of the island, and could always find a sheltered dive site,
whichever direction the wind was blowing from.
Out and about with Linda at the helm
Colin and Linda looked after
us very well, and were very helpful. The days diving was decided each
morning, and during the course of the week we dived sites from Mousa in the
south, to Lanyar Taing at the northern end of the mainland, my most
northerly dive ever!
Mousa and its famous Iron Age Broch
The Diving in Shetland
caters for everyone, seals were plentiful, and there are plenty of colourful
scenic reefs, fed by the Gulf Stream. Visibility was so good, and the shoals
of fish so plentiful, that it reminded me of the Red Sea.
There are also many shipwrecks around the islands. I don’t care for wreck
diving much, but the visibility on one of them, the 'Gwaladmena', was so good
that I was able to see the whole wreck all at once.
Dropping down the shot line
revealed the ship laying upright in 40 or so metres, with its bridge laying
off to one side, and its cargo of coal strewn everywhere. It was just a
little bit different than the visibility we are used to, where you can only
see one section of metal at a time!
A 'Gwaladmena' resident.
Another of the wrecks we did, the 'Pionersk', had about seven portholes still
intact. Prior to the second time of diving that particular wreck, there had been
much planning, accumulation of tools, lifting bags and other paraphernalia, in
order to bring one up. After spending some considerable time bashing, banging
and nut twisting, all they managed to do was loosen one for someone else!
So why have we not been before? Possibly the distance, the chance of
inclement weather, and the time it takes to get there, may have had something to
do with it, after all Lerwick is the same distance from London, as Milan is in
Italy, however once you are there, it is worth it, and we hope it will not be
long before we return.
Sunset over Shetland.
Definitely a must for another trip, but if the weather isn’t good, don’t
blame me!
Carole.
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