Extreme Britain – Shetland Islands

Shetland is rarely where it should be on a UK map. Instead it is usually tucked away in a corner, in a little inset box. Getting there is an adventure in itself. 200 miles north of Aberdeen, the little plane can provide a rollercoaster ride over the northern mainland before heading out over the North Sea. The landing strip is unforgiving, the sea very near to either end of the runway.

I worked on Shetland for two short spells in 2000. I accepted the offer of covering someone for their holidays for two reasons: it was a place that always fascinated me, being at the extreme of the map of the UK, and it also offered the best chance in the UK of seeing the aurora borealis. I was successful with the latter and spectacularly so, seeing perhaps the strongest auroral storm for a number of years on our first visit.

Nowhere is more than 2km from the sea on Shetland. Around almost every corner is another view of the open water and a picturesque coastline. In some places you can even see the Altlantic to your west and the North Sea to the east. We stayed in an old house where we woke to the sound of crashing waves and opened the curtains to see seals laid out on the rocks beneath us. It certainly got top marks for a room with a view!

The weather is lengendary here. We really did see all the seasons in an hour. We were there in April and October, and on both occasions there were periods of 30 minutes where we had snow, bright sunshine and rain, all carried along by frequent gale force gusts, with a complete absence of trees preventing any shelter from the transient downpours. The weather forecast is quite meaningless in these parts.

The people were far more cosmopolitan than I had imagined. Whereas I had supposed the islands would be insular and inbred, in fact the main island at least was full of temporary workers (usually linked to the oil industry) and hospitality staff from around the world. Lerwick, the capital, boasted an Indian and Chinese restaurant (both of which were pretty decent) and there was a great selections of high quality restaurants around the island, often no more than a table in a private house.

While those in Lerwick had a fairly recognisable Scottish island (with a nice sounding lilt) those who came from the other islands had a most peculiar accent; in fact when I first heard it I took them for Scandinavians or eastern Europeans such was the strength of the accent. It was one of the nicest dialects I have come across, and working with the general public there I found myself enjoying just listening to some of the folk talking in their soothing tones. I would recommend call centres consider Shetlanders for their operations (although there are very few of them to choose from!)

Culturally the native islanders feel far from Edinburgh and the Scottish way of life, and even further from London. In fact Norway is closer than the Scottish capital from here. There is a strong Norse thread to the island culture, with the yearly Up Helly Aa festival held in January, where a viking ship is burned and paraded through the streets. Crime is very low, and I remember switching on a radio and hearing a police report of crimes that had taken place on the island that week. The top incident was the theft of a petrol can, with the police unsure whether it was full or empty. A great place to bring up kids was our verdict, although I have heard that some of the drug problems of northern Scottish towns have sadly starting to show their face in Lerwick in recent years.

It is well off the beaten track and not a place you would happen to be in by chance, but if the opportunity arises I would wholeheartedly recommend a visit to this remote northernmost outpost of the UK. You will be guaranteed to remember both the stark beauty of the island and warmth of its hardy residents.