We arrived in the Shetlands at 7.30am after a lovely smooth crossing. We managed to get some sleep.

We were met with beautiful weather and had a quick look round Lerwick harbour before going to our holiday cottage.

After a look round Lerwick and lunch in a cafe, we went for a drive to South Mainland. The terrain is hillier and more craggy than the Orkneys.

At the southernmost tip is Sumburgh Head, a towering outcrop of rock capped with a lighthouse overlooking the area where the Atlantic Ocean meets the North Sea.

We continued our drive, crossing the airstrip, and following the coast. We spotted some seals sheltering on a beach below us.

We had a walk on the beach near St Ninian’s Isle, which can be reached by a spectacular example of a shell-sand tombolo (a beach or bar that links two islands).

More pictures of Shetland tomorrow

Carol