Scottish travel blog from an islander’s perspective
Book review: A Family at War; 1914-1918 by Margaret Stuart
Over 100 years have passed since the guns of the First World War fell silent over the battlefields of Europe. This week, I always think about the terrible loss of life – in both the First War and all wars.I wrote extensively about the First World War after making it a personal mission during the centenary years to research and remember those who fought for King and country during that bloody war.In the past, I’ve shared; a family story and a recipe for Trench Cake, a tragic [...]
St Kilda: an island on the edge of the world
St Kilda: the edge of the world St Kilda is a weather-beaten archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, some 40 miles from the Outer Hebrides. The cluster of islands sits alone in the vast expanse of the unforgiving North Atlantic. As Britain’s most remote point, it feels like the final frontier, a wild and foreboding place that looms from the horizon, echoing noisily with the sound of hundreds of thousands of seabirds. This is the land of the seabird. Yet until 1930, it was home [...]
A walk to the Burraness Broch, Yell
Burraness Broch, Yell For visitors to Shetland, there are usually several requirements on their wish lists, including; scenery, wildlife and archaeology. The following walk is a fantastic way to explore all three of these on a moderate three-mile walk.For this walk, we walked to the Burraness Broch on the island of Yell. Yell is just a short hop across Yell Sound on the modern inter-island ferry. The crossing takes about 15 minutes, and passengers can stand on the upper deck, enjoying pa [...]
A walk to the Catalina crash site, Arisdale, Yell
Start the walk at Arisdale croft, Yell. You know that feeling, as the days start to change and the seasons begin to switch, it feels as though we’re falling into autumn at freefall speed. That’s when I anxiously try to squeeze in as much as possible, squeezing those last drops out of summer as if I were squeezing a lemon.August is a month that makes me uneasy; it feels like the best of the summer has passed. The flowers are spent and shrivelled on their once-proud stems, the [...]
Noosthamar, Unst: self-catering accommodation review
Noosthamar, Unst: the perfect island escape. Photo: Joanne Anderson A few months ago, during the school’s May long weekend, we headed north to the most northerly island of Unst to stay at Noosthamar – a picturesque self-catering holiday home overlooking the sandy shores of Burrafirth.Unst is a two-ferry hop from Mainland Shetland and has a community of about 650 people. Getting to Unst is easy on the inter-island ferries that serve the isles and are operated by the Shetland I [...]
Rock pooling with kids
The rock pools at Leebitten, Sandwick are fantastic at low tide At the start of the school summer holidays, I compiled a summer holiday bucket list, basically a list of things that I’d like to do with the bairns over the seven-and-a-half week school break. Now, here we are, almost at the end of the holidays, and we’ve ticked off hardly any of the things on this list. Granted, we did have two weeks on Harris where we ticked off their bucket-list experiences, but that said, the [...]
A Walk to da Brigs o' Vementry
Da Brigs o' Vementry I recently posted our summer holiday bucket list; basically, a list of all the places we want to visit and things we’d like to do at home this summer. I included a checklist for anyone who wanted to join in the fun, and today we ticked off one from the list – a walk to the Brigs of Vementry.To get to the Brigs of Vementry, follow the A970 from Lerwick, turning onto the A971 at Tingwall. Drive for 16 miles before taking the B9071 towards Aith and Voe. Afte [...]
Summer holiday bucket list & checklist
Today is the first day of the summer holidays here in Shetland – seven-and-a-half weeks of having the bairns under my feet again. As if having them home for the best part of 2020 wasn’t enough, this holiday seems exceptionally long this year.That said, I’m looking forward to having a few adventures and taking more time off work to spend time with my family. Shetland is the perfect place to spend the summer holidays. With long days and plenty of outdoor space to enjoy, [...]
Shetland's summer seabirds
An Arctic Tern at midsummer with Foula in the background The return of the seabirds is one of my favourite times of the year. It’s filled with hope and the reassurance that, despite everything, the cyclical processes that guide the natural world continue regardless of the latest news story that’s making the headlines and keeping us awake at night.Shetland is a birders paradise, with over one million nesting seabirds returning to their noisy colonies every summer, breeding on [...]
Visiting Mousa with The Mousa Boat - the perfect family day out
Mousa Broch, the island is the perfect place for a summer day out with the family It’s no secret that a trip to Mousa is one of my favourite things to do, not only on tours but with my family too.This year, The Mousa Boat is reopening following a period of closure due to covid and, although tourism is still restricted and the broch doors remain closed (for now, we hope they will reopen soon), this remains a fantastic trip nonetheless. This is the perfect family outing for those loo [...]
A walk to the Ness of Burgi, South Mainland
Ness of Burgi fort with Sumburgh Head in the background Last weekend we visited Sumburgh Head and the fantastic new Unken Caffee. With commanding views out to sea and north across the South Mainland, it got me thinking about how past people lived and about the architecture, defensive or otherwise, that they built here.Shetland’s South Mainland, at one time, was a highly fortified area. If we rewind about 2,000 years to the Iron Age and place ourselves at Sumburgh Head, the landscap [...]
Shetland folklore series: A land of Giants
A land of giants; Stanes of Stofast, Lunnasting. Folklore was a huge part of Shetland’s society and culture in pre-modern times. Many of the folktales have been written down and, although many have now been forgotten, they can still be found in books and literature.The dramatic coastline and moorland expanses have given rise to a rich and deep-rooted culture of folklore, superstition and deeply-embedded traditions.In the past, education, literature and access to news was limited, e [...]
Shetland folklore series: Creatures from the sea; selkies, mermaids, beasts & serpents
Folklore was a huge part of Shetland’s society and culture in pre-modern times. Many of the folktales have been written down and, although many have now been forgotten, they can still be found in books and literature.The dramatic coastline and moorland expanses have given rise to a rich and deep-rooted culture of folklore, superstition and deeply-embedded traditions.In the past, education, literature and access to news was limited, even within the isles. Travel for pleasure was al [...]
A walk to the smugglers’ cave
The entrance to the Smugglers' Cave, Burra Winter can be a really special time to go for an adventure. On a cold, calm day, the air is crisp, and the low light casts dramatic shadows across the parched landscape. We’ve been fortunate this winter in that the ground has been frozen. If it’s not frozen, sticking to coastal routes can help keep feet warm and dry in Shetland’s (usually) wet winters.The smugglers’ cave in Burra is a brilliant walk to do with children be [...]
A winter walk around St Ninian’s Isle
St Ninian's Isle, Shetland, in winter It’s not often that January brings prolonged periods of still and frosty weather, but that’s exactly what we had here throughout January and, as we battle with homeschooling and the ever-present threat of cabin fever, it’s definitely nice to get out into the fresh air for a few hours.We recently walked around St Ninian’s Isle and, as well as being great for adults, this walk is also fantastic for anyone with children. It&rsquo [...]
Tragedy on ice
Tingwall Loch under ice, January 2021 We’ve had some incredible winter weather here in Shetland these past few weeks; still, frosty and bright, with very little wind. The usual rain that generally punctuates January, leaving the hills looking washed out under a grey sky, have been notably absent. Instead, Shetland has been dressed in a white frosting, and we’ve been enjoying long walks and snowy picnics. With this cold snap, the freshwater lochs have frozen over, and the [...]
Eight ways to enjoy Shetland from your sofa
Low light and winter skies in Shetland. As we move into the New Year, it’s difficult not to feel as though we’ve been short-changed. We all liked to imagine that 2021 would be like hitting the reset and bring a fresh start, a line in the sand of sorts. Yet, we are still fighting the same struggles we were in 2020, and coronavirus is still an ever-present threat to the world.Travel looks like it may well remain hampered into 2021 as restrictions continue and nations race to ge [...]
Sea swimming in Shetland
Shetland's underwater world. Photo: Donald Jefferies Sea swimming is a growing trend here with more and more people taking to the water and uploading their shivering selfies on social media. This year saw more people than ever embark on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day swims throughout Shetland, both with and without wetsuits for protection.Sea swimming has many benefits and, for the hardy, the thrill of swimming in no more than a swimsuit is hard to beat. Immersion in cold water b [...]
12 blogs of Shetland: Christmas special
Lerwick's picturesque waterfront during a snowy shower This blog is earlier in the week than usual but, let’s face it, who wants to read my blog on Christmas Day! – big thanks to you if you do!To celebrate the 12 days of Christmas I thought I would share some of my blog archives with you. So, over the 12 days of Christmas, I will share a new (old) blog every day from the archive. It occurred to me that I’ve been writing a fortnightly blog for almost three years and ther [...]
Shetland folklore series: Trows
Folklore was a huge part of Shetland’s society and culture in pre-modern times. Many of the folktales have been written down and, although many have now been forgotten, they can still be found in books and literature.The dramatic coastline and moorland expanses have given rise to a rich and deep-rooted culture of folklore, superstition and deeply-embedded traditions.In the past, education, literature and access to news was limited, even within the isles. Travel for pleasure was al [...]
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In 2020, just before the world as we knew it drew to a standstill, my husband and I went to New York. We spent five days exploring the city and ticking off all the ‘must sees’ from the list. I spent months planning the trip in a notebook, and while we were there, I kept a little diary of our time. We did all the main attractions: Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, the Flatiron Building, Madison and Times Square, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, DUMBO, Top of the Rock and much more besides.
I loved the few days we spent there, but a part of me felt that I could have planned it better.
But why am I telling you all this? When planning the trip, I felt overwhelmed and frustrated that nobody would prepare it for me, sit me down, and tell me what I needed to do to make the most of this beautiful city. I felt sure someone would offer a service to create a perfect New York itinerary tailored to my needs, but there wasn’t.