Photos and the City

Tag: nature

Sandwick

It is getting late and I only had time for one last stop before going back to Yell. Sandwick – another Viking settlement in Unst. And one has to say, the Vikings definitely built their longhouses on the nicest spots! Sandwick – coming from “Sandy Bay” is said to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the Shetlands.

Put first the biggest standing stone in the Shetland Islands: Menhir von Bordastubble

I made my way down to Sandwick, meeting new friends along the way.

Sands of Sandwick

Walking down to the beach I first saw the remains of a little church, Framgord chapel, and the remains of croft houses on the hills going down to the beach.

Just above the beach are the remains of a Pictish house from the Stone Age. Two Pictish Burials were found nearby.

Late Norse Farm

A house with a view – or like we would say today: prime real estate.

But this long house was probably further away from the sea back then when it was lived in.

Another Viking house was found further up on the hill.

Another view of the chapel and croft seen from the beach.

17/02/2022
Mousa

Even when you are already on an island there are still so much more islands to visit. I´ve already seen the Island of Mousa lying next to mainland Shetland while driving from Lerwick to my lovely Airbnb and on day two it was time for a visit.

The Mousa boat was just a shirt drive away and I arrived early enough to see some seals having a little nap right on the historic Sandsayre pier. Some people even walked right to them to take some pictures, I wanted to gíve them some space. And there was also a little museum about the Mousa boat in the old boatshed.

During the summer the boat crosses the short distance to Mousa once a day and leaved enough time to explore the island before going back three hours later.

Mousa is 1,5 miles long and around 1 mile wide, there is a lovely circular path following the coast line. Mousa Broch is the best preserved broch in the British Isles. A broch is a Iron Age fortification, a kind of tower to live in, often surrounded by a village.

Upon arrival we were greeted by some lovely dogs and lots of very loud sheep, who were in the middle of getting sheared and seemed not too happy about that.

Besides all the sheep Mousa is a known breeding ground for little birds called storm-petrels who live in stone walls and also for grey and common seals, black guillemots and Arctic terns.

The circular coastal and moorland walk around the RSPB reserve starts right by the landing and shouldn´t be left to not disturb the breeding birds.

My first “sight” was the lighthouse and the East Pool where the path continue around. Lots of the other visitors had already stopped for a picknick or little break and I almost felt as I was the only person on the island.

To be continued…

16/11/2021
Sumburgh Head

My very first excursion brought me to Sumburgh Head and the lighthouses, which was actually due to missing the turn to Jarlshof, but I didn´t mind.

Sumburgh Head is the southern tip of Shetland, has 100 m high cliffs, two lighthouses (you could rent the big one), lots of sheep and wildflowers, stunning views and is a bird nature reserve.

I was so excited about the smell of the sea, the views and all the sheep that I forgot to watch out for Puffins, I have to do that at my next stay if we both visit at the same time.

Steep cliffs at Sumburgh Head support a large seabird colony, with each seabird species occupying different areas of the cliff. The sandy soils of the cliff tops are perfect for puffins to dig their burrows, and lots of passerines such as twites, wrens and rock pipits use the stone dykes, rocky cliff face and grassy cliff tops for nesting and feeding. (Rspb.com)

It was a lovely little walk around the head and my first encounter with lots of different birds. Over the next weeks, I started to get to know the names and different species. From the tiny storm petrels to shags and many more. Seeing puffins, later on, was definitely a highlight.

Nearby Sumburgh Head is Sumburgh Airport, one actually has to cross the landing strip to go to Jarlshof and Sumburgh Head. It is a bit of a different junction than usually.

And right next to the airport was my very first beach with Caribbean feeling, white sands and turquoise water, just a bit loud due to all the helicopters landing and flying.

14/09/2021