Shetland Sheep – Baaa!

My husband and I created this travel blog together. Funny thing, the first trip posted on Halfway There Travelers is missing half the team. Dick opted out of this trip because he feared there would be too much knitting!

My mother, JoAnn Jensen, and I joined a tour hosted by my cousin, Tammy Eigeman Thompson for her knitting group (from Montana) to The Shetland Islands. It was a daunting flight from Boston to London, then on to Aberdeen, Scotland, where we overnighted before taking a thirteen hour ferry ride on a rough North Sea to Lerwick, Scotland.

Mercat Cross – Aberdeen. The day was gloomy and looked like something out of a Harry Potter movie. A magical way to begin the trip.

Logo of the NorthLink Ferry from Aberdeen to Lerwick, Shetland Islands. Even though the ride was rough, we really enjoyed the ferry ride. Maybe we’d even consider an ocean cruise now.

Leaving Aberdeen on the ferry the weather looks calm but the ferry ride was rough from Hurricane Ophelia. Many people in our group suffered from the choppy water.

The view from the Shetland Museum and Archives in Lerwick. This was the prettiest day of our trip. The weather there was mostly cloudy, rainy and windy. The most useless thing I packed was my umbrella. An umbrella in Shetland is worthless in gusty winds and sideways rain!

   

There are miles of stone walls and rocks galore to build more. These are two beautiful examples at the Croft House Museum.

St. Ninian’s Isle Tombolo is a sand bar created and maintained by wave action that connects two landmasses. A Tombolo is not to be confused with a voe, which is an inlet or narrow bay, or with a (not Colin) firth which is a long, narrow indentation in a seacoast. 

 

 

Eshaness Lighthouse, Staness. This place was like being on another planet. The ground cover was so lush that it felt like walking on a golf course green. I could not believe that we were allowed to walk all over the beautiful vegetation. (I’m used to the Glacier National Park directive, keep on the path!) When I questioned Andy, our tour guide, about tourists traipsing anywhere they want, he said that on a warm summer day, at the height of tourist season there will only be ten cars in the parking lot.  The cliffs and sea views were spectacular.

Scalloway Castle. A sign on the castle gate says that if you wish to tour the castle, you can pick up the key at a reasonable hour at the Scalloway Hotel.

The painted houses of Scalloway. This is the neighborhood I’m moving to when I retire.

 Fancy parking garage in Unst.

My ancestors might have been involved in sailing from Norway to the Shetlands. These Viking longships are a lot more spartan than the Viking Cruises longships!

Inspiring view from the weaving studio of our tour guide Andy Ross in Yell.

One of the many Shetland Ponies on the islands. We were told that they are cute but they are stubborn and not very nice. I didn’t try to pet (or ride) one.

Kudos to The Cornerstone Bed and Breakfast in Scalloway. It was newly renovated, and I thought that it was comfortable and homey. I will dream about their cheese scones for many years!

By the way, all pictures from this trip were taken on an iPhone 6.