Shetland and Orkney Advice Please

[Blue Knight]

Morning Team,

OK, here goes; this is our first real attempt of retirement since my escape from the rat race last year.

Nicky and I have never been to Shetland or Orkney before so I'm after any top-tips that you guys may be able to share. We'll be travelling with our grumpy Rottweiler pooch too.

Our plan over 23-days is to travel in a 6.36m PVC and our aim is to peruse just about every house displaying a sales board on Shetland; i.e. we may potentially buy a house up there but further visits will be required for sure.

Our travel route will be Durham - Thurso - Orkney - Shetland and then return to either Thurso or Aberdeen (our return route is still TBC).

In all honesty we are just passing through Orkney to get to Shetland so my campsite search has been mainly focused on the northen islands group.

Any advice or experiences would be very much appreciated,

All the best, and TIA

Andrew

P.S. Here's a pic of the sales map to show where we may end up:

 

[Cheshirecat57]

Good luck with the search- remember you need to buy your THIRD retirement house first

 

[Blue Knight]

Good luck with the search- remember you need to buy your THIRD retirement house first

C,

We'll be at the NEC's Place In The Sun exhibition for that. If you're passing then we can have a catch up

 

[Cheshirecat57]

 

[andy63]

I'm not long back from a Shetland trip..
Unless or until you need the facilities theres plenty of scope to park up for the night..
I used a couple of sites on mainland...
The marina at Bare.. £15 night but possibly less in a smaller van and a little site at levenwick which is right on the main road..similar price if i remember..
On yell and unst I just parked up on the coast..
Google or the tourist info office in lerwick will give you all the info you need if you need sites..
Andy.

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[Blue Knight]

I'm not long back from a Shetland trip..
Unless or until you need the facilities theres plenty of scope to park up for the night..
I used a couple of sites on mainland...
The marina at Bare.. £15 night but possibly less in a smaller van and a little site at levenwick which is right on the main road..similar price if i remember..
On yell and unst I just parked up on the coast..
Google or the tourist info office in lerwick will give you all the info you need if you need sites..
Andy.

Thanks Andy, I've read a whole load of stuff in recent days but having someone like you with info who has been there and done is invaluable.

Did you manage OK with the size, logistics and costs of the ferries etc?

 

[bigtwin]

Orkney is worth visiting and can be accessed via the following ferry routes:

Scrabster (Thurso) to Stromness - about 1.75hrs

Gills Bay (John o Groats) to St Margaret’s Hope - 1hr

Aberdeen to Kirkwall - 6hrs (this ferry continues onwards to Shetland)

These ferries all take Articulated Lorries so you won’t have any issues with your little van.

There is so much to see in Orkney, you may well end up looking at properties there too!

One of the unique aspects of Orkney is the Kirkwall Ba’ - it’s played on Christmas Day and on New Years Day ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkwall_Ba_game).

Ian

 

[andy63]

I was there for a week's paddling but stopped on for a few days to get a look around the 3 main islands...
Just a very general comment before going on..
The place is remote but the scenery on land a bit monotonous..from the sea however much of the coastline is stunning and a kayaking paradise..that's what will take me back there..
I know you said you were house hunting but a few places I visited that id say we're worth it..
Sumburgh head ... the site at Jarlshof...
If you like a good walk the reserve at hermaness on unst .. I also did the broch on mousa but that was on a paddle round the island..

I drive a 7m van..I sailed from Aberdeen but on both the outward and return voyage we called at kirkwall... I chose a sleeping pod rather than a cabin which is a lot cheaper and I found good enough.. the return cost me £324
The inter island ferry service is excellent between the main islands.. not sure about the smaller island services...you can book easily on line and believe it or not during the busy periods morning and evening rush it would be best to if thats when you were using it..
You pay a fare on the outward journey which in effect is a return..
The same fare will see you on to a second island as long as its the same day..bit hard to explain but it's on the ferry operators web site ..
Like i said i enjoyed the visit but other than the remoteness and stunning scenery in the form of stacks, arches and caves from the water i most probably wouldn't be rushing back..
Andy

 

[klaatu]

We lived on Sanday (one of the Orkney islands) for 13 years. Orkney is great for wild camping, there are lots of places where you can just pull off the (quiet) road and park for a night or two. Often with a sea view. No-one will give you any hassle while wild camping. If you're just passing through, that may be all you need.

We had a trip to Shetland once and found that many marinas had very nice little camp sites associated with them.

 

[andy63]

I'll post a few pictures ..
The marina at Bare i mentioned earlier

Puffins on sumburgh..

Gannets at hermaness..no available space if you zoom in?

Muckle fluga and out stack..

And a sunset over Orkney isles on the return voyage...

Hope you have a lovely trip?

Andy

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[Paddywack]

Like Andy I've had a couple of trips out to Shetland coaching on the sea-kayaking symposiums and have spent a couple of weeks there and its an amazing place, from the sea. From the land its still a great place but it is a little samey - as a Durham dweller you can think of it as upper Pennines on steroids.

As to living up there, each to their own but for me I would find it too restrictive if I wanted to get anywhere else, I have friends that do live there and love it but do bemoan the traveling times (and cost) to get anywhere else. There are a lot of interesting and varied places on the mainland that offer similar scenery and lifestyle without that ferry or plane cost.

Orkney is also great to visit, its just had less steroids.

Plenty of opportunities for over nighting on both. Its worth contacting the tourist office for an up to date list of marinas, boat clubs and outdoor centres that have parking and hookup and showers.

Have fun.

 

[Paddywack]

I'll post a few pictures ..
The marina at Bare i mentioned earlier
View attachment 321186



Puffins on sumburgh..


Gannets at hermaness..no available space if you zoom in?



Muckle fluga and out stack..

View attachment 321193

View attachment 321194

And a sunset over Orkney isles on the return voyage...




Hope you have a lovely trip?

Andy

Did you get out to Muckle Fluga and Out Stack in your kayak Andy? Or is that the unfinished business?

 

[andy63]

Did you get out to Muckle Fluga and Out Stack in your kayak Andy? Or is that the unfinished business?

Unfinished business im afraid?
The winds were predominantly west or north west and our kayaking was confined to east facing coastline in the main but still in good 2m swell at times..

In a cave..

Typical stacks..

The horse at burra voe

 

[Blue Knight]

Orkney is worth visiting and can be accessed via the following ferry routes:

Scrabster (Thurso) to Stromness - about 1.75hrs

Gills Bay (John o Groats) to St Margaret’s Hope - 1hr

Aberdeen to Kirkwall - 6hrs (this ferry continues onwards to Shetland)

These ferries all take Articulated Lorries so you won’t have any issues with your little van.

There is so much to see in Orkney, you may well end up looking at properties there too!

One of the unique aspects of Orkney is the Kirkwall Ba’ - it’s played on Christmas Day and on New Years Day ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkwall_Ba_game).

Ian

Thanks Ian, you've already mentioned it yourself but I've been keeping an eye on the Orkney properties too so we may spend a day or two looking at what's on offer. It looks as if we can cover Orkney in fairly quick time.

Thanks again,

Andrew

 

[Blue Knight]

I was there for a week's paddling but stopped on for a few days to get a look around the 3 main islands...
Just a very general comment before going on..
The place is remote but the scenery on land a bit monotonous..from the sea however much of the coastline is stunning and a kayaking paradise..that's what will take me back there..
I know you said you were house hunting but a few places I visited that id say we're worth it..
Sumburgh head ... the site at Jarlshof...
If you like a good walk the reserve at hermaness on unst .. I also did the broch on mousa but that was on a paddle round the island..

I drive a 7m van..I sailed from Aberdeen but on both the outward and return voyage we called at kirkwall... I chose a sleeping pod rather than a cabin which is a lot cheaper and I found good enough.. the return cost me £324
The inter island ferry service is excellent between the main islands.. not sure about the smaller island services...you can book easily on line and believe it or not during the busy periods morning and evening rush it would be best to if thats when you were using it..
You pay a fare on the outward journey which in effect is a return..
The same fare will see you on to a second island as long as its the same day..bit hard to explain but it's on the ferry operators web site ..
Like i said i enjoyed the visit but other than the remoteness and stunning scenery in the form of stacks, arches and caves from the water i most probably wouldn't be rushing back..
Andy

That's a very interesting and useful take on things Andy - you're a star . I like your point about the inland scenery as I've been wondering the same myself; i.e. does it look fantatsic on the various programmes andTV shows but up close it can be dull and monotonous. Besides the usual TV shows I do glance at the Shetland live stream CCTV but it doesn't show much apart from the weather which, in all honesty, has been quite good since the end of April.

All that said, it may be nice to get away from people from time to time and that alone may appeal from a temporary home perspective.

All the best,

Andrew

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[Blue Knight]

We lived on Sanday (one of the Orkney islands) for 13 years. Orkney is great for wild camping, there are lots of places where you can just pull off the (quiet) road and park for a night or two. Often with a sea view. No-one will give you any hassle while wild camping. If you're just passing through, that may be all you need.

We had a trip to Shetland once and found that many marinas had very nice little camp sites associated with them.

Steve, I'll send you a couple of Summit 640 pics when we get there.

I've also been told that both island groups have their own individual characteristics so it will be interesting to see the differences.

Thanks for posting up Steve

 

[Blue Knight]

Muckle fluga and out stack..

View attachment 321194

Hope you have a lovely trip?

Andy

Great pics Andy.

You may be interested to know that we enquired about a flat on the old Muckle fluga lighthouse but then we withdrew our interest when we read about this:

Bad blood boils over at Muckle Flugga flats

A FORMER lighthouse keeper in Shetland who drew a pocket knife on his neighbour after years of disputes boiled over was acquitted after a trial at Lerwick...

www.shetnews.co.uk

 

[Blue Knight]

Like Andy I've had a couple of trips out to Shetland coaching on the sea-kayaking symposiums and have spent a couple of weeks there and its an amazing place, from the sea. From the land its still a great place but it is a little samey - as a Durham dweller you can think of it as upper Pennines on steroids.

As to living up there, each to their own but for me I would find it too restrictive if I wanted to get anywhere else, I have friends that do live there and love it but do bemoan the traveling times (and cost) to get anywhere else. There are a lot of interesting and varied places on the mainland that offer similar scenery and lifestyle without that ferry or plane cost.

Orkney is also great to visit, its just had less steroids.

Plenty of opportunities for over nighting on both. Its worth contacting the tourist office for an up to date list of marinas, boat clubs and outdoor centres that have parking and hookup and showers.

Have fun.

Thanks very much for all the great points.

The comparison to the pennines is a useful one as it's not exactly that buzzing up there (but we both like the peace and tranquillity the area brings).

Thanks again for some very useful info.

Regards,

Andrew

 

[andy63]

haha,, that's a novel read Andrew..
not the sort of place where you want to be falling out with a neighbour ?
It says that at one time that was the most northerly residence in the UK.. it's not manned now is it and i believe that accolade falls to the farm at skaw..which I went out of my way to visit for that reason..itwasnt for sale mind?

And just beside the farm

 

[Blue Knight]

haha,, that's a novel read Andrew..
not the sort of place where you want to be falling out with a neighbour ?
It says that at one time that was the most northerly residence in the UK.. it's not manned now is it and i believe that accolade falls to the farm at skaw..which I went out of my way to visit for that reason..itwasnt for sale mind?

View attachment 321311

And just beside the farm
View attachment 321312

You've taken some fantastic pics Andy.

However, that place does spook me out a bit; it looks as if it's the type of location where brothers and sisters get married and have children - just like Cornwall

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[Grianan]

Think this is what you’re looking for Andrew ? ... <Broken link removed>

 

[Candapack]

Is the house you are (maybe) planning to buy intended as your main home, or just for holidays?
If the former, I would urge you to spend a winter there before buying.
In a previous life, I dealt with many people who had fallen in love with the Highlands and Islands and decided to relocate there. Mostly they had only ever visited in the summer, and an awful lot only lasted one winter.
Sorry to be a gloomy bu**er.

 

[Chockswahay]

When I was an air ambulance pilot in Scotland we used to bring a LOT of patients back to the main land in deep winter suffering from various forms of mental health issues........ mostly due to high winds, poor weather, lack of sunlight and a sense of isolation.

I do love the Orkneys and the Shetlands but they are quite different in winter than they are in summer

Don’t shoot me, just offering another viewpoint ?

 

[andy63]

Think this is what you’re looking for Andrew ? ... <Broken link removed>

I remember passing that little cottage on a bike ride into lower Diabaig And wondering if i should cut my losses and stop there.. it's a fair old climb back up that hill?
And i nearly made it back up to the cottage without getting off the bike..??

 

[Blue Knight]

Think this is what you’re looking for Andrew ? ... <Broken link removed>

That's nice Liz, I've just had a drive past using street view. I like the interior while the views are quite stunning too.

Do you know the owner by any chance?

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[Foxy1956]

My wife is related to the Giffords of Busta House on the illegitimate side sadly. I would advise purchasing a little wrist bracelet from Northlink to avoid sea sickness. We visited last year and came back through a force 9 gale. The bracelet was brilliant despite the pitching. We had a cabin.

The camp site at Eshaness is wonderful with views of the Drongs. The locals have high tea in the village halls which are definitely worth going to.

Skara Brae is worth a visit and the Tomb of the Eagles on Orkney and the wrecks of the German fleet in Scapa Flow.

As for living there, lovely for a few days in summer, otherwise.............?

 

[Blue Knight]

Is the house you are (maybe) planning to buy intended as your main home, or just for holidays?
If the former, I would urge you to spend a winter there before buying.
In a previous life, I dealt with many people who had fallen in love with the Highlands and Islands and decided to relocate there. Mostly they had only ever visited in the summer, and an awful lot only lasted one winter.
Sorry to be a gloomy bu**er.

You're not being a gloomy bug at all - your advice is tip-top and worth merit.

This trip is just a flash visit to see if we like the place and, if we do, then we'll take a few more trips to see and experience the adverse period (Sep to Apr it seems)

My previous job took me all over the place and I often found that the first few weeks were 'holiday mode' and the time thereafter was when the reality kicked in.

This won't be a main house but it'll be one where lots of time is spent.

Thank you for your very honest reply - I really appreciate it.

 

[Blue Knight]

When I was an air ambulance pilot in Scotland we used to bring a LOT of patients back to the main land in deep winter suffering from various forms of mental health issues........ mostly due to high winds, poor weather, lack of sunlight and a sense of isolation.

I do love the Orkneys and the Shetlands but they are quite different in winter than they are in summer

Don’t shoot me, just offering another viewpoint ?

Cheers Graeme, I would much prefer the raw details of living in a place like Shetland as the medical-thing is one of my primary concerns, along with the weather and the isolation etc.

I've spent my entire life working in crap holes whereby I've had to rely on helicopters for movement and medical evacuation so I'm really taking this one seriously and your point is most valid.

Thanks for your post-up but, more importantly; a big thank you for your service as a heli-med guy. Brave chap

All the best,

Andrew

 

[Blue Knight]

My wife is related to the Giffords of Busta House on the illegitimate side sadly. I would advise purchasing a little wrist bracelet from Northlink to avoid sea sickness. We visited last year and came back through a force 9 gale. The bracelet was brilliant despite the pitching. We had a cabin.

The camp site at Eshaness is wonderful with views of the Drongs. The locals have high tea in the village halls which are definitely worth going to.

Skara Brae is worth a visit and the Tomb of the Eagles on Orkney and the wrecks of the German fleet in Scapa Flow.

As for living there, lovely for a few days in summer, otherwise.............?

I just loved the first sentence, simply fantatsic

I was a bit sceptical when first enquiring about Shetland as someone (jokingly) said that all 23,000 inhabitants were just one big extended family but, it appears not; there has been a wee bit of immigration and new blood to the islands over the last few decades so I'm hoping for good things from the locals.

Joking aside, you make some very good points sir and I appreciate your thoughts, especially the seafaring advice.

Regards,

Andrew

 

[Foxy1956]

I just loved the first sentence, simply fantatsic

I was a bit sceptical when first enquiring about Shetland as someone (jokingly) said that all 23,000 inhabitants were just one big extended family but, it appears not; there has been a wee bit of immigration and new blood to the islands over the last few decades so I'm hoping for good things from the locals.

Joking aside, you make some very good points sir and I appreciate your thoughts, especially the seafaring advice.

Regards,

Andrew

The Gifford story is a sad one. In the early 18th century the 4 Gifford brothers rowed across the voe from Busta House and all drowned including the local priest. They left behind Barbara Pitcairn, who claimed to have secretly married the oldest son and was pregnant by him.

The Gifford parents refused to accept the marriage of a servant girl to their oldest son, but adopted the baby, Gideon Gifford. My wife is descended from this union.

There was a court case and title to the house passed to another side of the family. So there you have it. Busta House hotel is worth having a meal and a visit. It featured in one of the early Shetland detective series.

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