Ronas Hill and Da Lang Ayre

Ronas Hill Cairn

Looking across Ronas Voe

Descent to da Lang Ayre

Red Sand of da Lang Ayre

Red, White and Blue

Turls Head

The Cleiver

Da Lang Ayre and Gruna Stack

Foula in distance from White Grunafirth

Ronas Voe from White Grunafirth

I finally got round to climbing Ronas Hill, the highest hill in Shetland, something I had been contemplating since November. I had been waiting for some reasonable weather, which is not that frequent in a Shetland winter. Louise in the office had recommended that I visit Da Lang Ayre as well. It is a mile-long beach of red sand backed by 230m cliffs, it also involves a 10-kilometre metre walk from the nearest road including the ascent of Ronas Hill.  I asked around and most folks had heard of Da Lang Ayre but had never been there apart from Maurice, the Fetlar fiddler, who told me there were trows there as well. I thought he meant trout and there are plenty of those in the isolated upland lochs but trows are small men and women who lived in the hills and were remarkable for their riches, their activity and their malevolence; they sound a bit like the Accounts Commission.

It was a cold but clear day with excellent visibility and it is an easy 40-mile drive from Lerwick on empty and excellent roads. The normal starting point is Collafirth Hill which is the site of some transmitter masts with a good gravel track leading up to it. It usually irks me to take advantage of gaining height illicitly when walking but, because I was taking a friend, and anxious to get to Da Lang Ayre, I felt less guilty about driving up the track to Collafirth Hill to save some time. I had been warned that it was a very long outing if attempting to add in Da Lang Ayre. The walk was over subalpine terrain of grass between shattered granite blocks and scree.  It was fairly easy going and the summit with its large cairn was made in 40 minutes via the tops of Roga Field and Mid Field.

As we started the descent from Ronas Hill to the west the coastal views opened up although there was no sighting at this stage of Da Lang Ayre. It was hidden below the convex slopes leading from the summit.  We headed for Ketligill Head and from there descended the steep gulley fed by the Burn of Monius. At last, the sea stacks of the Cleiver and Gruna Stack were visible and the anticipation of Da Lang Ayre was tantalising. The final 50 metres of descent was down steep rocks and screes that unnerved Ann but an old fishing rope provided some reassurance. 

We emerged on a beach of stunning red sand with the hooloovoo blue sea pushing in big white rollers. It was time for a drink and snack as we sat opposite the Cleiver. We had a furtive saunter along the beach making deep footprints and inhaling the Atlantic air before heading back up the gulley.  We climbed north to the cliff edge and were mesmerised by another perspective of this rarely visited but stunning architecture of nature. We saw several hares scooting up the hill as we walked towards Sandy Water, full of large trout I was told, and then skirted around Swabie Water before returning over Roga Field and then down to Collafirth Hill. 

It had taken just over 4 hours, a lot quicker than I had anticipated. When we returned to the car we feasted on some fine Shetland cuisine: bannocks and salmon. It occurred to me as we set off back to Lerwick that there was still time to drive to the other side of Ronas Voe and have a quick excursion up another Marilyn, White Grunafirth. The alternative, suggested by Ann, was to drop in on the chair of the Crofter's Commission at Voe for afternoon tea and a chat. I gingerly proposed the Marilyn and was surprised when Ann agreed. 

Fifteen minutes later we were parked at Heylor and immediately we were charging up the steep scarp slope to Crookna Water and then on up the more gentle slopes to White Grunafirth.  A gentler slope of peat hags provided a veritable maze that we negotiated with aplomb as we approached the trig point. It is not one of the higher Marilyns at just 173 metres but it commands splendid views to the remote wild island of Foula to the south-west, and to Ronas Hill, Esha Ness and the superb coastal scenery that bejewels North Mavine. On the descent we were joined by a well-fed black cat that walked us back to the car, it may have been a trow. Below us, shafts of sunlight illuminated Ronas Voe and added to the magic. 

Alas, there are no more Marilyns in this area although scanning the coastline during the walk back convinced me that a walk to Uyea in the far north-west would be a worthwhile adventure. It was a speedy return to Lerwick, we resisted the temptation to stop at Frankie's fish and chip shop in Brae. It had been a wonderful day in some spectacular scenery with great company.