Into the Mist

I watched the Good Shepherd IV head out from Grutness on it's way back to Fair Isle on a very foggy day on Shetland and was reminded of a very foggy day back in Summer 2007.... let me tell you a wee story.

We were on our first summer visit to Shetland.  This was a grand tour of Shetland covering everywhere from Unst to Fair Isle. On the morning we were due to fly to Fair Isle it was very foggy (like it was today).  We had checked out of our hotel and headed to the wee airport at Tingwall, where it pretty soon became apparent that there wasn't going to be a flight to Fair Isle (and even if there was there were lots of folks ahead of us who had already been waiting days for a flight to Fair Isle).  We decided to retreat back into Lerwick, where we took consolation in coffee and cake at the Peerie Cafe.  Around mid-coffee my phone rang (surprising in itself in Lerwick in 2007).  "Do we have transport? Can we get ourselves to Grutness? Go to Grutness and await further instructions. Oh, and don't tell anyone else."

So, we headed down the foggy A970 to Grutness, where a few other folks were gathered on the pier.  Eventually the Good Shepherd IV appeared out of the mists (complete with about a dozen school age children - who jumped onto a waiting bus) while we were ushered up the gangway before the crew cast off and headed back into the mist.

About three hours later we pitched up on Fair Isle for the first time. Shortly after that the fog cleared and the sun came out, and we were welcomed with (what I assume is) a traditional Fair Isle greeting. "Have you seen the Bee Eater?".  

I've been to Fair Isle several times since then but never by plane.

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