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| Saxa Vord, windy and ugly |
It was another cool grey Saturday and the last chance to get in some walking in Shetland as I will be away from Shetland for the next few weeks. After nipping into town to buy the Yell and Unst OS map I picked up my walking companion, Ann, who runs the Shetland Trust and we headed for the northern isles. Not for the first time I marvelled at the quality of the ferry service across the Sound of Yell. The immaculately maintained ferry had no roll across the choppy waters and, whilst having a cup of hot chocolate for 60p in the luxurious lounge, I took a call from my daughter in London. It was her birthday and we chatted for ten minutes as I watched the cormorants skimming the sound.
We made a quick dash through Yell to reach the Unst ferry; the sea views to the north and east were captivating with some fine dwellings having been built to take advantage of the views. It was good to observe the new development and refurbishment of crofts taking place on this remote wild island. The roads are near perfect and, as the car descended down to the ferry terminal at Gutcher, the ferry rolled in from Fetlar. I asked the crew if we could travel on the bridge and we were immediately made welcome. Most of the passengers are regulars and they spend the 10-minute journey in their cars.
The conversation with the experienced skipper and his crew was about the purpose of our trip, not many southers come this far north in winter. They were a bit surprised to find that we intended to climb some hills on Unst or that there were the two Marilyns - Saxa Vord and Valla Field. They knew the former, which is topped by an early warning radar station that previously had provided many jobs. They were unfamiliar with Valla Field and asked where it was - I pointed to a long ridge that seemed to be in the right sort of direction and, true enough, it turned out to be Valla Field. They were keen to hear of our exploits and suggested we catch the 16:05 ferry back otherwise there would have to be a detour on the next ferry via Fetlar that would add a couple of hours to the day. It meant only 4 hours was available for the two climbs and quite a bit of driving was involved as well.
Valla Field, 216metres, 8km of walking, 1 hour 32 minutes
Arriving on Unst, the newly restored Belmont House peered down on the pier as a reminder that the Lairds had been all-powerful here until the last century. A couple of miles up the road I turned left for Westing and parked just by Crosbister where the well-metalled road that was devoid of traffic had warning signs for ducks. I suspect that we may have been the first non-locals to travel this road for quite a while and on the day it was one of the few parts of Shetland with no birdlife. It was time to start walking and the first kilometre involved a direct ascent over boggy land to reach the track at Bordi Knowe. Thereafter it was a simple walk with a steady climb up the track, watching a helicopter shuttle some containers of Salmon smolt from Baltasound. Saxa Vord appeared in the distance and eventually, the entire Valla Field ridge came into view. The coastal areas to the west looked spectacular although it was not that clear and the strong winds were sapping the energy from our legs.
The track up was better than many roads in the central belt of Scotland and had poles all the way up and even a crash barrier by one bend. The MoD must have built it during their time on Unst as there was also a disused quarry as well as some peat banks adjoining the track. Below us, the Loch of Watlee looked like it might harbour some red-throated divers but it was several hundred feet below us. The trig point at the summit was adjacent to the foundations for some old communications equipment. Time was tight so we made a fast march back into the stiff south-westerly wind and then through the boggy ground to reclaim the car, taking care not to take out any ducks on the return journey to the main road
We made a quick dash through Yell to reach the Unst ferry; the sea views to the north and east were captivating with some fine dwellings having been built to take advantage of the views. It was good to observe the new development and refurbishment of crofts taking place on this remote wild island. The roads are near perfect and, as the car descended down to the ferry terminal at Gutcher, the ferry rolled in from Fetlar. I asked the crew if we could travel on the bridge and we were immediately made welcome. Most of the passengers are regulars and they spend the 10-minute journey in their cars.
The conversation with the experienced skipper and his crew was about the purpose of our trip, not many southers come this far north in winter. They were a bit surprised to find that we intended to climb some hills on Unst or that there were the two Marilyns - Saxa Vord and Valla Field. They knew the former, which is topped by an early warning radar station that previously had provided many jobs. They were unfamiliar with Valla Field and asked where it was - I pointed to a long ridge that seemed to be in the right sort of direction and, true enough, it turned out to be Valla Field. They were keen to hear of our exploits and suggested we catch the 16:05 ferry back otherwise there would have to be a detour on the next ferry via Fetlar that would add a couple of hours to the day. It meant only 4 hours was available for the two climbs and quite a bit of driving was involved as well.
Valla Field, 216metres, 8km of walking, 1 hour 32 minutes
Arriving on Unst, the newly restored Belmont House peered down on the pier as a reminder that the Lairds had been all-powerful here until the last century. A couple of miles up the road I turned left for Westing and parked just by Crosbister where the well-metalled road that was devoid of traffic had warning signs for ducks. I suspect that we may have been the first non-locals to travel this road for quite a while and on the day it was one of the few parts of Shetland with no birdlife. It was time to start walking and the first kilometre involved a direct ascent over boggy land to reach the track at Bordi Knowe. Thereafter it was a simple walk with a steady climb up the track, watching a helicopter shuttle some containers of Salmon smolt from Baltasound. Saxa Vord appeared in the distance and eventually, the entire Valla Field ridge came into view. The coastal areas to the west looked spectacular although it was not that clear and the strong winds were sapping the energy from our legs.
The track up was better than many roads in the central belt of Scotland and had poles all the way up and even a crash barrier by one bend. The MoD must have built it during their time on Unst as there was also a disused quarry as well as some peat banks adjoining the track. Below us, the Loch of Watlee looked like it might harbour some red-throated divers but it was several hundred feet below us. The trig point at the summit was adjacent to the foundations for some old communications equipment. Time was tight so we made a fast march back into the stiff south-westerly wind and then through the boggy ground to reclaim the car, taking care not to take out any ducks on the return journey to the main road
Saxa Vord, 290m, 6km of walking, 1 hour 12 minutes
It is about a 20-minute drive to Norwick on the south-east flank of Saxa Vord. I parked at the sheep wash and immediately 3 shetland sheep took shelter under the front wing of the car licking the front tyre. We spent 15 minutes having a break with some crab bannocks and a drink. This was followed by that troubling moment when you fall out of a warm car into the wind and brawly inclement weather for your second walk of the day. There was only one way to go and that was straight up through the boggy ground until reaching a track by the Ward of Norwick. And then we veered westwards to Sothers Field before heading north for the sinister-looking summit of Saxa Vord.
It may no longer be an early warning station but the keep-out signs and threat of the Official Secrets Act are still there and for once I decided not to tackle the high fences. It felt alien and did not encourage anything other than a fast exit jogging most of the way back to the car. Without any hesitation, I drove straight to the Wick of Skaw, the most northerly settlement in the UK and the location of a fine beach. We had another quick jog to the sea and back, there were only 25 minutes left to make the ferry. It gave no time for a visit to the Valhalla microbrewery but allowed a couple of minutes for a close-up look at Belmont House before rolling onto the ferry.
The best parts of the day were yet to come. We were welcomed back onto the bridge and invited to take the wheel of the ferry crossing back from Belmont to Gutcher. The skipper of the Yell Ferry was also on board on his way to start the late shift. He invited us to join him on the bridge of the Yell ferry later. This gave us a chance to visit Ann's friend in Mid Yell for coffee and some wonderful brunnies (thick oatcakes). The kitchen was full of fine cooking, the smells of a dinner party to be held later that night, a pity that we couldn't have stayed.
We had lingered too long so there was another quick charge to the ferry at Toft where the skipper kept his promise and escorted us to the bridge. It was five flights of stairs to the bridge and nothing could have prepared you for the hi-tech electronic equipment that filled the sumptuous carpeted bridge. You expected an admiral to be in charge, not a friendly local guy who composed music and jingles for apps in his spare time.
Again the wheel was offered and Ann waltzed us across the sound unable to keep a straight course using a PlayStation-sized wheel. Watching the skipper make smooth docking manoeuvres with the electronic guidance equipment was described by Ann as "like buttering bannocks". He was greatly amused because it rang true and that used to be women's work. Every trip to the Isles is an adventure with courtesy, good humour and friendship the underlying currency of island life in the Northern Isles.
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Nature's Infinity Pool on Valla Field looking to the west
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| Warning sign for Ducks on the Westing Expressway |
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| Community-run bus shelter at Haroldswick |
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| Unst's instinctive warmth and friendliness does not extend to the MoD |
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| Ann, the most northerly citizen in the UK, at the Wick of Skaw |
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| Superb ferries equipped with the latest technology - grown-up PlaySations |
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