Overnight on the ferry wasn’t the best nights sleep, but we did get some sleep.
The GPS track map recorded on our overnight trip – A very direct route of approx 113 miles. No point in showing the elevation profile as its all level!
We awoke at 6:30am with the tannoy announcement telling us that we would be docking in Lerwick in about an hour and that breakfast was available to purchase in the restaurant.
We headed to the restaurant to have tea and toast for breakfast, neither of us wanted a cooked breakfast, although neither of us were suffering from travel sickness.
Landrover safe after the crossing and view as we approached the dock.
We docked at 7:30am in Lerwick. As soon as we got off the boat, we headed to Sumburgh Head, the most Southerly point of the main island. The island is so quiet and peaceful – lovely. The road crosses the end of the runway at Sumburgh Airport that has flashing lights and a gate attendant stopping traffic when there is an aircraft movement. No sooner had we passed over the end, the lights started to flash. So we pulled over to wait and see a plane land. It started to rain, but just as we were about to leave, again the lights flashed and the man closed the gates for another plane to land. There was also a helicopter land, but the road is not closed for them.
Road closed for the plane landing
We got to the car park at Sumburgh Head and had a cup of tea using the meths stove. This time I parked into the wind so that the full heat warmed the water – lesson learned from yesterday. Once we had finished our tea, we decided to walk from the car park up to the lighthouse. A steep climb, but excellent views and also many sea birds on the cliffs. The lighthouse exhibition didn’t open until 10:00am so we just walked around the site. I was fascinated to see the restored WW2 radar hut and also the fog horn that points south – it sounds for 7 seconds pausing for 9 seconds when required. Having seen all there was to see, we headed back to the car.
Car park at Sumburgh Head. Have to walk the rest of the way!
Lighthouse and Fog horn at Sumburgh Head
Radar hut at top of Sumburgh Head
Clifftops at Sumburgh Head
We decided to take a drive around a loop off the main road as there was an RSPB site marked. We found the RSPB site and immediately opposite was a sign to a beach called Spiggie Beach, so we traversed the sand track to the top of the beach. Although we could have driven on, we parked at the car park and took a walk. The beach was stunning. Beautiful white soft sand, lovely blue and clear water. It could easily have been a tropical location had it not been for the cool weather. We were the only people there and we walked to the end that was a little sheltered from the gale that was blowing.
Speggie Beach
We then drove from there towards Lerwick along the back roads. At one point when we were high, we could see the bay that we saw opposite from Speggie Beach, and it was covered in seals basking in the sunshine.
Seals basking on the beach and a typical Shetland Road, long and undulating.
As we continued, we saw a beautiful sand bar from up high and decided to investigate. Turns out that it is called St Ninians beach and the sand bar is called a tombolo (or an isthmus). Here we had our cup of pasta for lunch followed by a cup of tea. Again parking into the wind meant that the water boiled quickly. After eating, we set off to walk on St Ninians Isle where there are ruins of an ancient chapel.
The tombolo at St Ninian’s
View from St Ninians Island
After our walk, we headed back to Lerwick on the main road as there were no other smaller roads to explore. We stopped at Tesco to get some more pasta pots and sandwiches for the evening. As we were able to get into the B&B at 3pm, we headed there exhausted and finally arrived at 3:30pm.
The B&B is lovely and run by a Christian couple, and the man has lived in the same house all his life. They bought the cottage next door and knocked them both into one and created the B&B. The only downside is that I had to park the Landrover on the road and the B&B is near a road junction. However, there is very little traffic and that is where all the guests park apparently. The hosts informed me that it would be safe there too.
Once settled in, I spent the first part of the evening booking the relevant inter island ferries for tomorrows adventure!
Route and elevation for Day 5
130 miles on the odometer