Puffins

I'm ashamed to say his Lordship and I, when confronted with the unimaginably long and vertiginous hills around Lerwick, resorted to hiring a car today so that we could see a bit more of Shetland than is possible on two wheels.

And see a lot of the South Mainland and West Shetland we did in slightly grey overcast weather, but no rain.

We made our way first of all to St Ninians Isle where there is a spit of unbelievably white sand known as a tombolo, linking the island to the mainland.
In the 50's, treasure was found in the church there - silver bowls and jewellery dating back to 800AD. It is a beautiful spot which we had to ourselves for a while with the water lapping quietly at either side of the spit.

Then on to Sumburgh Head, the very tip of the south mainland and a sight of puffins nesting in burrows surrounded by sea pinks, before heading back to Lerwick and to the very west of the Mainland to Sandness, miles along a single track twisty road with peat stacked in neat rows on banks.

Then north to Voe, a little village, south of the more famous Sullom Voe which once boasted the famous Adie wool mill.
It was a purely nostalgic visit as my brother was a friend with one of the younger Adies.

We saw two pairs of pannier laden cyclists on the road, both foreign and looking a bit red in the face. Well done I say!