It's up here on Yell, so I'll be on the island until she finishes at 4. Unless I pop up to the next island Unst and back. Decisions, decisions.
We are on our own at the campsite now. The only other visitor last night was a very chatty lady who has dropped out from life in London and is touring the islands. To be honest she seems a little unprepared. Her tiny coffin tent has condensation problems, so her sleeping bag gets sodden. She's on foot so no easy way to dry things. Anyway last night she was huddled around the radiator in the kitchen here on the site, and slept in the chair.
Oh, yeah, and this very handy campsite -
Anyway Liz duly dropped off at her class and I use an hour or so to take advantage of the good 4g in the car park to finish a couple of blog entries. I've said before, blogging, especially on the phone, is surprisingly time consuming and time is often at a premium on trips.
Right, let's see if we can make it to Unst, if I put a shimmy on I can just about make the 11:30 ferry. It's an 18 mile dash up the main road to Gucher ferry, supposedly 23 mins. I make it with 3 mins to spare but there's a tractor with trailer and mid-sized lorry booked along with about eight unbooked cars in front of me as well as those already on. A couple more cars, then the tractor, then the lorry, then squeeze another couple of cars, then another, and another. That's it, gate closed, with just one car in front of me. Oh well, I'll go explore Yell instead because the next ferry will leave it right for me to get back and we're in a rush tonight.
Having rushed up the main road it's time to take the back roads. First stop is the tiny store in Mid Yell where the lady makes me a coffee to go with the biscuits I buy. Mmmm lunch in the car park. But I want to go in round to the famous Mary's shop or Aywick Shop as it is properly known. It's just a large steel shed
But inside it opens up like a TARDIS and seems to stick pretty much everything vital for island life. I bought some glue, a CD, and a bottle of the strong Orkney Skull Splitter beer but she had all manner of contstruction stuff, housewares, clothes, gifts, food. Whilst I was there someone rang asking for drainage channel, the sort you put in the ground in front of garages and she had to admit she was out of stock. But it was that sort of shop, where you could buy a length of drainpipe and a Mars bar! And it was run by the old lady herself, albeit with help for a younger assistant. A wonderful find!
Onwards takes me back to Burravoe where we spent last night, but this time instead of going down to the pier and campsite I go into the centre of the village to the Old Hass museum, gift shop, and tearoom for my afternoon tea. And a very nice piece of lemon madeira it was too. The machine woven Fairisle jumpers seemed very reasonably priced but it was this handsome fellow who caught my eye
I've still an hour before Liz finishes so round to the pier for a walk, passing this beautiful coo en route
The walk I wanted to do turned muddy after a couple of hundred metres so I cut it short, we are due out this evening and no time for a change of clothes. But even that short distance was enough for a close encounter with 4 seals, one of which stayed bobbed up for ages just watching me watching him. Delightful curious creatures. And a small delight on the fence post behind me too
The seals were just too far away to photograph. I did take some pics of the small harbour but they are on the camera and I've yet to find time to transfer them.
Right, pick Liz up, I'm on time, a free minutes early but the class is running late. At twenty past four I decide the four thirty ferry is unlikely. Rats! We really are on the clock today. But out Liz pops and it's only 5 mins drive to the ferry. 16:28 we make it with two minutes to spare. Great, the next ferry, even though it's only 30 mins away, would be a real rush.
A rush? Why? Because we have an evening appointment back in Lerwick at 6pm and it's some 30 miles away!
The run back is quick and we have 30 mins to kill bit we want to turn up at the brewery early and find a nice quiet parking spot as much out of sight as possible. Why, because I've already exchanged emails with them and hopefully we'll be able to overnight in their car park. Yep, sorted, we've chosen a nice spot round the back and they are more than happy for us to stay.
This special brewery tour and tasting also comes with food and three locals from the dialect preservation group reading stories, poems and asking riddles in Shetland Dialect. It's entertaining and mostly understandable. The brewery tour, is, well pretty much the same as any other small brewery tour. Interestingly the head brewer is Californian (I did ask, he met his Shetlander wife in Australia and they decided to make the islands their home). The food is traditional, potato soup accompanied by a bread bannock filled with salt beef. It was good too. Three taster beers, their best seller 60 North Lager, a wheat beer and, my personal favourite, an IPA. All were fine but not spectacular.
At least we didn't have to far to go afterwards!
Oh, Liz's nålbinding I hear you ask
It's a small pot holder, probably needs a bit more practice to get a really even stitch tension. But as you can see she now has all she needs, her own wooden nålbinding needle!
79 miles today but nearly one of those was by ferry
