We set off back to England via the new Queensferry Crossing across the Firth of Forth, and alongside the route of the re opened Borders railway towards Carlisle. Then the A7 and M6 to Morecambe.
We stopped for the night in Morecambe to break up the long journey from Dundee to Dursley. Also it was nice to revisit a place I visited as a child.
Tomorrow we will be back in Dursley.
Thank you for following, I hope you enjoyed my posts.
Until next time,
Carol
Today we went to St Andrews to meet up with Ralph and Jean, who we first met on our way to India in February. We had a bracing walk on West Sands, followed by lunch at the famous St Andrews Golf Course.
After lunch we followed the Fife Coastal route, visiting Anstruther,
Pittenween,
and St Monans.
Back in Dundee we went to the Tay Bridge Disaster Memorial. On 28th December, 1879, on a very stormy night, 13 spans in the centre of the bridge collapsed as a train was crossing. Everyone on board perished in the River Tay.
Tomorrow we leave Scotland. Our amazing road trip is nearly over.
Carol
After an ‘unusually rough’ crossing (according to one of the crew) we arrived safely in Aberdeen. That is not a journey I would want to undertake again!
Now in Dundee for two nights.
More tomorrow
Carol
Early post today as we are leaving the Shetlands and taking the ferry back to Aberdeen, a 13 hour crossing, including a stop on the Orkneys.
Unfortunately the weather has deteriorated and it is very windy!
The skies were still blue and the sun came out while we visited Jarlshof, a prehistoric and Norse settlement, with evidence of buildings from Iron Ages to the Middle Ages. Very interesting, and we nearly got blown off the cliff!
Aberdeen here we come. Fingers crossed for a not too rough crossing.
Carol
Today we drove to the west coast, towards Sandness. The views, as always, were fabulous.
Today is our last night on the Shetlands, but as our ferry isn’t until 5.30pm tomorrow we will have some time on the island. One more place we want to visit. Find out where it is tomorrow.
Carol
Today we drove around the western side of the island to Scalloway.
We drove on across a bridge to Trondra, then across another bridge to get to West Burra. We walked down to Meal Beach.
We passed the restored crofthouse, Easthouse, featuring the traditional house, barn, byte and pig sty.
On the way back we saw more salmon farms.
Again, we were so lucky with the weather.
Can it continue?
Carol
Another beautiful day, sunny and calm, which was very lucky as we decided to explore two of the smaller islands north of Mainland. We got on the ferry at Toft for the 15 minute crossing to Ulsta, on Yell.
We visited the Fisherman’s Memorial. In July 1881 there was a disaster which devastated the small community of Gloup. Ten boats and 58 men were lost at sea in a freak storm. They left behind 34 widows and 85 children without their fathers.
We then got on our fourth ferry of the day, to return to Mainland.
More to come,
Carol
Today we explored the North West side of the island.
I was particularly keen to visit Eshaness as, several months ago, when this holiday was in the planning stages, I had to pick a place I had never been to and use it as a setting for a story. I chose Eshaness, did some research and wrote a story.
If you would like to read it click here.
That’s all for now,
Carol
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
The weather was amazing for our last day on the island. We went to the beach at Weddell Sound near Churchill Barrier Number 3 for a walk.
Then we returned to the Italian Chapel to have a look inside. The POWs built it using two Nissan huts, as a place to worship while they built the barriers.
We left our lovely fisherman’s cottage and drove to Kirkwall to have dinner at the Kirkwall Hotel prior to boarding the ferry to Lerwick, on the Shetlands.
Off to the ferry now.
We left the Orkneys at midnight.
Goodnight!
Carol
