South to Craobh via Shetland and Orkney Islands

We have had a fabulous time since we left Lerwick. There has been very little wind so we have done a lot of motoring and while it may be Spring the temperatures haven't really warmed up yet. Days are long as we are now only a month away from the summer solstice. We decided to go as far south as Craobh Haven on the west coast of Scotland. It is very rare for us to return to a place and it has been so good to drop anchor and know people ashore instead of always being strangers....a rare treat.

The west coast of Shetland is stunning with huge, high stacks of rock everywhere and good anchorages. Each day was a "wow" day as we moved south.

Papa Stour is an island with 22 miles of coastline and was first populated 3000BC. It has a rich history, easy walking and birds galore. Only a handful of people are living there now while some live on the mainland but still farm on the island.  As you can see, Shetland lacks trees of any sort!

Spring brings some colour to the villages where people make quite an effort in their gardens while nature does a pretty good job on her own with bluebells.

How about this for a home? We anchored in a very tight little spot in front of this magnificent place on the island of Vaila where we met the owner Richard, a retired London lawyer, who, along with his wife, breeds organic sheep. It was so full of amazing things that I didn't know where to look first! There were old paintings, stuffed birds, armour...too much to take in. We visited the watchtower which they have made into a quirky little hideaway with great views. So glad we decided to drop anchor there instead of just passing by.

 Scalloway Castle was built in 1600 and dominates the ancient capital. There is a very good museum that tells of the "Shetland Bus" where the local fishermen helped the Norwegian resistance movement during WWII, taking over spies and supplies, bringing back refugees.

A good breeze gave us a fast sail for the 65 miles to Pierwall on Westray Island in the Orkney Islands where we sat for 3 days waiting for things to settle down. We bundled up in warm clothes and explored the village and surrounding countryside. Of course there was a castle. The islands here are not as dramatic as Shetland but rich in ancient history.

The island of Rousay had burial chambers almost 5,000 years old.

Another 64 mile sail in brisk winds got us to the north coast of Scotland where we sheltered at Talmine. The next day we gave up trying to get around Cape Wrath, the NW corner of Scotland, in the shitty seas and dropped anchor in this stunning spot in Loch Aeriboll, with an old lime kiln and great walking.

  

 This cave was used as a church on the island of Rona. The outlook over to Skye was magnificent. It was quite a walk in so they must have been keen. We lit a candle there for our friend Paul. A lot more interesting than the churches that are built nowadays.

Crowlin's Island was once a pirate hide-out. It used to be covered in trees which would have helped.

We caught up with people we met last year when we returned to Canna, enjoyed the music and dancing before making our to Craobh Haven where we are continuing to have a social time. Doing a few jobs on the boat and stocking up on food while we are near a big supermarket. Friends join us tomorrow for a few days on the water and then we will move  quickly to Stornaway to await fair winds to head up to the Faroes. Several other boats are heading that way about the same time so we might get to cruise in company for a change.