 Carraig Fhada lighthouse Islay loomed large on the horizon as we ploughed past Kintyre from Kennacraig with CalMac Ferries. Passing Gigha, we headed towards the Sound of Islay – the narrow channel separating Islay and Jura – seeing a few solitary harbour porpoises along the way. Famed for its distilleries, fertile landscapes and island charm, Islay is known as the “Queen of the Hebrides”.  Harbour porpoise in the Sound of Islay from Calmac Ferries Getting to Islay is easy; take the Cal Mac ferry from Kennacraig, on Scotland’s west coast (about two-and-a-half hours from Glasgow), the journey takes two hours, and you can enjoy some beautiful scenery and wildlife along the way. Alternatively, daily flights operate between Glasgow and the small island airport in Islay.
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 Hermaness puffin, Shetland Puffins?
Puffins are one of the Northern Isles’ best-loved summer visitors who arrive back from winter at sea to nest between April and mid-August. Sumburgh Head is the most accessible place to see them without having a lengthy walk. The nature reserves of Hermaness and Noss are also excellent places to look out for these charismatic little seabirds. For those travelling with children – or the big kids amongst us – hop on UnstFest’s Tammie Norie Hunt. Tammie Norie is the local name for a puffin, and UnstFest has organised a puffin trail throughout the island where visitors can follow clues to find 12 puffin statues scattered across the island. Visitors can access a map at Belmont, close to the ferry.  Exploring Neolithic Orkney Orkney is perhaps best-known for its mind-blowing Neolithic archaeology that continues to rewrite much of what we know about prehistoric Britain, so much so that, in 1999, UNESCO designated World Heritage status to what has colloquially become known as the Heart of Neolithic Orkney.
With UNESCO World Heritage Status, The Heart of Neolithic Orkney is undeniably one of Scotland’s most incredible archaeological areas – if not the world. Made up of Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, Stenness Standing Stones and Maes Howe, these fascinating sites are all within a stone’s throw of each other and have forced archaeologists to rethink settlement patterns throughout Neolithic Britain.  The Boatman's House, Unst, a fabulous holiday home to visit "We never feel like we own it; we are custodians looking after it for the future," Rachael told me as she explained the history and her deep-seated love of the Boatman's House.
The Boatman's House, where we were to spend the weekend, dates back to 1854 when Hermaness Lighthouse was built to aid navigation. Clinging to the hostile slopes of Muckle Flugga, a rocky outcrop off the north coast of Unst, Britain's most northerly lighthouse still shines a guiding light across the water to those at sea – the Boatman’s House is part of the story of this iconic lighthouse.  The days are changing as the seasons switch. And, like a light that’s shut off, it feels as though the dial has been turned to autumn as summer fades into memory once more. The nights are visibly darker, and the air has changed; there’s a sting in its embrace, and I feel myself turning my collar against it.
Yet, despite this change, the daylight is still long enough to make the most of the fine days, and the chill in the wind isn’t enough to leave us lounging by the fire with a steaming mug and cosy socks just yet. There are still plenty of reasons to enjoy Shetland in autumn, and here are just five of them:  Symbister Harbour, Whalsay Every great adventure starts with a boat, surely? It certainly feels like that as you dart north, rushing to make the ferry on time, watching the clock anxiously and praying you don't meet a tractor en route.
The Whalsay ferry has an altogether different feel to the North Isles ferries; the journey is longer, and booking is strongly recommended if you want to ensure you arrive – and depart – on the ferry you've chosen. It also has a more 'Shetland' feel, as locals make up the bulk of the people who use the ferry. The island, in many ways, feels removed from the hustle and bustle of the tourist trail that can make much of Mainland Shetland feel like an adventure playground for busy holidaymakers. Accommodation options are limited and the island is often overlooked in marketing material relating to Shetland.  It’s hard to write a positive narrative of Shetland’s summer so far. Avian flu is devastating our breeding seabird colonies and, as I write, we’re enduring another spell of bad weather – low-lying fog, chill wind and drizzle – in all, there haven’t been many positives to write about this summer.
Yet, as I stood last night, at midnight, watching the incredible frenzy of storm petrels returning to their breeding grounds within the broch walls at Mousa, I realised there is still much to celebrate and be thankful for. This may be a bad summer for many of our breeding birds, but, with time, we can only hope that they’ll make a full recovery and bounce back once more to their glorious best; providing us with endless hours of happiness as we observe them busily narrating their lives around our outstanding and nationally important breeding grounds. Instead of maudlin, I decided to spend an otherwise dreich Sunday with a couple of new bird books, including Best Days with Shetland’s Birds, the latest wildlife-inspired publication from the Shetland Times and edited by Andrew Harrop and Rebecca Nason, and Richard Ashbee’s photographic guide, Shetland Puffin. I spend much of my days in summer interpreting Shetland’s wildlife to guests, so I was looking forward to sitting down and furnishing myself with some more birdy facts and anecdotes to share on tours.  My creations from a recent Island Ceramics glazing workshop in Yell I often hear visitors say that they’re going to Unst, but they’re not stopping in Yell; they’re just driving through the island to reach the ferry. This is a mistake. Whatever you do on your visit to Shetland, don’t make the mistake of dismissing Yell, as you are guaranteed to have an excellent experience if you do choose to stay – even for just a few hours!
I recently had an excellent day trip to Yell, visiting Ellie Duncan, creator of Island Ceramics, in her cosy studio overlooking the picturesque bay at Otterswick.  The beautiful Peerie Bugarth, a gem of a property available for holiday let in Mid Yell I often drive past traditional Shetland crofthouses and wonder what they’re like inside. These are buildings that have fascinated me since I was little. Their simple lines, symmetry, and the way they bed into the landscape almost seamlessly continues to inspire my imagination in the same – perhaps less visually attractive way – that they continue to inspire artists and poets to commit pen or paint to paper.
I couldn’t say no when Steven and Debbie invited us to Yell to enjoy a weekend in Peerie Bugarth. The house offered all the charm and beauty of a traditional crofthouse but offered the comfort and space of a modern home.  Sandness is the most westerly frontier of Mainland Shetland. It has the distinct feeling of being an island rather than part of the Mainland due to its relative geographical isolation from Lerwick. The boundaries of Sandness are clear and the community has the same tight-knit feel that you would expect to find on any of the outlying islands, where a bond of community exists that has, in many ways, been lost from the rest of Mainland Shetland.
Ian Tait describes Sandness’ position well in the book's foreword, stating that: “To most Shetlanders a trip to the place is a bit of an excursion, and Sandness has much of the aspect of one of our off-lying isles.” The Sandness Story, published in 2021 by the Sandness History Group, tells the story of this remarkable community, remote by road from the rest of Shetland but intrinsically connected by old routes to the communities of Waas, West Burrafirth, Voe, Brae and Eshaness. |
Hello from LaurieHello, and welcome to my blog. I hope that you find what you're looking for - whether you're planning that perfect holiday or maybe you're from Shetland and looking for some 'home' inspiration. Hopefully, there is something here for everyone. 
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