After a flat calm overnight crossing we arrived in Lerwick and thought that we had left the sunshine behind. A typical, grey and overcast Shetland summers day.

  • Leaving Aberdeen 7pm Friday 19 July
  • Arriving in Lerwick 7am Saturday 20 July

Breakfast at the co-op cafe and food and drink loaded into the camper van meant just one more stop – Tescos to get Nigel enough shirts to last the week – he had managed to leave all of his in Durham!

Now at last we could begin to explore parts of Shetland that we had not managed to see thirty years ago.

North-West Mainland – Eshaness

Eshaness Caravan Park was our base to explore the north-west of mainland Shetland.

With Mam and Dad happy to sit in the camper van and drink tea, Sue and I set of for the Eshaness lighthouse. Two miles later we decided that it was too far away and could wait until tomorrow. Instead we followed the road to what turned out to be the remains of an old herring station and then followed a cliff path back to the camp site.

Throughout the walk we were treated to tantalising glimpses of blue sky as the sea mist lifted and then returned. It was a fabulous reintroduction to Shetland wildlife with seals following us along the coat, oyster catchers making a fuss, malie chicks on the sea cliffs and a fleeting glimpse of a huge dog otter as he scurried across the rocks into the sea.