Eswick and Lingness

Eswick bay and beach and Lingness in distance

Ponies above Eswick bay

Lingness - tranqil waters and serene skies

Us and Them

Early morning in Shetland is prime time so it was an early start at 6:30am to complete a walk before 10:00am when my friend had another engagement. We drove to South Nesting and had a coastal walk around Eswick. It is a significant promontory that juts into the sound and provides a good viewpoint back to Lerwick and across to Whalsay. The morning light under dappled blue skies gave the walk an ethereal quality, we followed the coast in an anti-clockwise ellipse and climbed all of the many hillocks. At Stockan ponies were grazing and from there Lingness appeared across South Nesting Bay at the end of the strand.

Lingness was like an emerald set in the crystal clear waters that surround it.  There was a small croft nestled at the end, we dropped down the hill and made our way across the strand. My friend knew the owner, who runs a successful worldwide business providing support vessels for repairing oil rigs. He warmly welcomed us and invited us in for coffee and conversation in his lovingly restored croft.  It was completely sustainable with a small wood-burning stove to provide hot water and cooking using the plentiful supply of driftwood. A small wind-powered generator was charging the batteries to provide light. He was an engineer and mechanic and had created his dream dwelling with so many clever and practical fittings. He had added an observatory containing a sizeable telescope to take advantage of the croft's prominent position on its headland for watching the natural and man-made marine activities on the sound.

We were given a tour of the premises and admired how his finely honed engineering skills had created a totally sustainable dwelling. Seals bathed on the shore, vegetables were being grown and the cat and dog played together with obvious affection. The outing made you aware of the pride of place that abounds throughout Shetland's population. Portfolio working maybe a vogue term for working in several capacities but here in Shetland this is part of life and applies across the primary, manufacturing and service sectors. It is the long-established way of working and helps engender a classless society compared to most parts of the UK.  

It was only a twenty minute drive back to Lerwick and we were back by 10:30am. This jaunt had been intended as the aperitif to the day but it had blown my mind. I borrowed my friend's bike to make my next excursion, a ferry to Bressay and then a cycle across the island to catch the boat to Noss to observe the nesting sites. I was as high as a kite as I hurtled down the hill in Lerwick to buy a lock for the borrowed bike. It probably wasn't needed but I was going to dump the bike on the shore whilst taking the small dinghy over to Noss and was anxious to respect the kindness that abounds in Shetland despite her bike being far too small for me.