Poo

Shetland offers many attractions including Puffin Poo which is collected fresh from the cliffs- well that's the moto. This is actually Shetland fudge which makes a great present as well as a talking point.

You could add Shetland Soaps, Shetland knitwear, Shetland beer or Gin and now Shetland Whisky. Never mine the vast array of  Shetland art , books and crafts but equally important are the memories of the people, music, food,  wildlife , landscapes, wide open skies and not forgetting the weather.

I keep having to be reminded that we are not on 2 weeks holiday so we don't have to do everything now. Shetland really has too many things to see so its really impossible to get round places even if you come here on holiday every year.

It is great to visit places time and time again, especially during the different seasons, the light changes the landscape so much and reveals things that previously you missed.

Some good news if you are travelling up on holiday, the government have frozen ferry fares for the second year. However they are still working on cutting the cost before the new ferry contact is awarded in April 2018.

We should also see new ferries which should be more storm resistant that the current two. This should have been done along time ago, the western isles ferry service saw a 50% cut in fares.

We have been out west to visit a number of interesting places. First off to West Burrafirth which is an isolated place and would have been difficult to get to on the old roads, now it's a simple run passed some great scenery

You can catch the ferry to Papa Stour from here but at other times it is a very quiet place with plenty of interest. The wildlife in the area is interesting and we saw porpoise in the bay and lots of very confiding waders. (see shetlandsfp.blogspot.co.uk)

Please visit my website at http://www.amazingshetland.co.uk to see some year round photos

Vementry

We headed out to Vementry , a very peaceful area with outstanding views of the island at Vementry and beyond. The small cluster of houses near the pier is 3 miles north of Aith. On the way you will pass lochs which seem to be good for fishing judging by a couple of young and old fishermen standing with fishing rods dressed in green waterproofs and wellies.

The day we visited was warm and sunny so they would only be wearing this gear to satisfy any tourist wanting to take a photo

At the parking point you can walk down to the pier which is overlooked by a recovered  WW2 mine and usually some Shetland ponies, which on this visit included two foals. Here you can take the boat over to the island if you arrange in advance.

If you manage to get onto the uninhabited island of Vementry you will come across a WW1 gun emplacements, burial cairns and ancient housesteads.

The island was last inhabited in the 1840's, and is now the largest uninhabited island in Shetland

The buildings at the carpark include WW2 Nissan huts and beyond a cottage which is available for hire. No doubt it will be excellent for otters and other wildlife.

It would be a good area to visit in stormy weather, it will take on a completely different feel and will provide excellent views of the aurora being so far away from the bright lights of Lerwick and Scalloway.

Back home its hard to imagine that we have now been in our house for two years. A few people have come and gone but we have been waiting 11 weeks for our new neighbours, its strange because council houses usually get taken up very quickly. Another house further up the road has been on sale since December  but due to the condition of the in and outside he will have to lower the price substantially if he is going to get a buyer.

Shetland has come in the top 10 places in the world to visit, coming in at number 6 according to the Wanderlust Travel Magazine

http://www.wanderlust.co.uk/planatrip/inspire-me/lists/25-must-visit-outposts

I have also set up a website, selling Shetland canvas prints- please visit at www.amazingshetland.co.uk

Dinosaurs

Where else could you go where you can see so many rare things, recently we visited Michaelswood at Aith.

Its an area with trees developed in 1996 when a local young musician died of cancer. It has 60 species of tree especially selected to grow in Shetland.

The area has many interesting areas and includes a pond and more recently dinosaurs have taken over which seems to attract both young and old to the wood. On our visit we had to wait 10 mins before we could find a space to park such is the interest.

You would imagine that this is only for children but we met a number of older folk who showed as much enthusiasm for these dinosaurs as the younger ones

The dinosaurs arrived in mid July and school children have made information boards.

The trail is well set out and takes you through the woodland(a scarce item in Shetland) passing the pond, numerous joke boards, seats and a play ship.

No doubt the area will attract a lot of wildlife with hedgehogs regularly seen and migrant birds make visits.

You can easily combine a visit here with a trip to the Burn of Lunket just a few miles away

see my website at www.amazingshetland.co.uk