Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Scalloway Hotel
T
01595 880444,
W
scallowayhotel
.com.
Well-established hotel on the harbour front, with
plain, slightly cramped rooms and a bar that doubles as the
local pub. The menu features lots of local fish and seafood
- try the platter for
arou
nd £15.
Food served daily noon-
3pm & 5-8.30pm.
£70
Windward B&B Port Arthur
T
01595 880769,
W
accommodation-shetland.co.uk.
Very comfortable,
modern, wood-clad two-room B&B at the far western
end of the bay, close to the North Atlantic Fisheries
Colleg
e. G
reat views from the conservatory and free
wi-fi.
£80
South Mainland
Shetland's
South Mainland
is a long, thin finger of land, only three or four miles wide
but 25 miles long, ending in the cliffs of
Sumburgh Head
and
Fitful Head
. It's a
beautiful area with wild undulating landscapes, lots of good green farmland, fabulous
views out to sea and the mother of all brochs on the island of
Mousa
, just off the east
coast. he most concentrated points of interest are the southern end of the peninsula,
where you'll find sea bird colonies, a crofting museum, and
Jarlshof
, Shetland's most
impressive archeological treasure.
Mousa Broch
Day-trip
April to mid-Sept Mon, Tues & Thurs-Sat 1 & 4.15pm, Wed 10am & 1pm, Sun 1.30 & 4.30pm; takes 25min • £16 return •
Storm
petrel trip
Mid-May to July
Wed & Sat 11pm-12.30am • £20 •
T
01950 431367,
W
mousa.co.uk
Accessible by boat from Sandwick, the island of
Mousa
boasts the most amazingly
well-preserved broch in the whole of Scotland. Rising to more than 40ft and looking
rather like a Stone Age cooling tower,
Mousa Broch
has a remarkable presence and features
in both
Egil's Saga
and the
Orkneyinga Saga
, contemporary chronicles of Norse exploration
and settlement. To get to the broch, simply head south from the jetty along the western
coastline for about half a mile. he low entrance passage leads through two concentric
walls to a central courtyard, divided into separate beehive chambers. Between the walls, a
rough (very dark) staircase leads to the top parapet; a torch is provided for visitors.
housands of
storm petrels
breed around the broch, fishing out at sea during the day
and only returning to the nests after dark. he ferry runs special late-night trips, setting
16
THE SHETLAND BUS
The story of the
Shetland Bus
- the link between Shetland and Norway that helped to sustain
the Norwegian Resistance through the years of Nazi occupation - is extraordinary. Under threat
of enemy attack, small Norwegian fishing boats ran arms and resistance workers from Shetland
into lonely jords. The trip took 24 hours and on the return journey boats brought back
Norwegians wanted by the Gestapo, or volunteers for Norwegian forces fighting with the Allies.
For three years, through careful planning, the operation was remarkably successful: cryptic
instructions to boats were broadcast by the BBC. Local people knew what was going on, but
the secret was well kept. In total, 350 refugees were evacuated, and more than 400 tons of arms,
large amounts of explosives and 60 radio transmitters were landed in Norway.
Originally established at
Lunna
in the northeast of the Mainland, the service moved to
Scalloway
in 1942, partly because the village offered good marine engineering facilities at
Moore's Shipyard on Main Street, where a plaque records the morale-boosting visit of the
Norwegian Crown Prince Olav. Explosives and weapons were stored in the castle and
Kergord House
in Weisdale was used as a safe house and training centre for intelligence
personnel and saboteurs. The hazards, tragedies and elations of the exercise are brilliantly
described in David Howarth's book,
The Shetland Bus
; their legacy today is a heartfelt
closeness between Shetland and Norway.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
ISLE OF NOSS
P.562
; LESSER WHITETHROAT, FAIR ISLE
P.567
; SHETLAND FOLK FESTIVAL
P.561
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