'Bigga' - the Unst Ferry

The inter-island ferry service is run by the Shetland council and is a vital service for the islanders to allow the populations on the many islands to survive and thrive. The first ferry on a weekday from Unst is 6.35am and the last is around 11pm. It links Unst to the next island south called Yell. The Unst ferry takes only about a dozen cars so booking ahead is always a good idea even if only done on the day of travel.
Here you see the Sunday lunchtime ferry as it inches towards the slipway before the back drops and cars spill out. On board was my daughter and her husband who are joining us for the week.

The house you can see in the distance is Belmont House where we are staying as this gives us a bit more room than my father's former croft home and let's us entertain our relations in style. Belmont House, built in 1775 in the neo-classical house and garden style by the landowner, suffered from years of neglect in recent decades and was almost lost when a group of determined local people bought it for £5 and set about raising money from a wide range of agencies for its restoration. The whole process took 13 years and now it is a fantastic community resource available for rental throughout the year through the National Trust for Scotland. See its website if you are interested in restoration projects.