In 2022, we spent a week in Unst, at a renovated croft house. The entire isle is pretty remote, with a couple of larger settlements. It’s one of my favorite places in the world.
Luxe Ferry! Pretty uncrowded today.
Way back when, Bobby’s family decorated the bus stop to make it more festive for their kiddo. To this day, locals decorate it in all kinds of seasonal and festive ways. In 2022, it was to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. This time, just bees!
Bobby’s Bus Stop, do bee a do bee!Do bee do bee do!David’s discovery!!! Missed it our first trip to Unst!
The Hagadale Horse Mill was a nice little walk from the main road. Fascinating history! David found it because there was a train that transported the chromite to Baltasound for shipping to the mainland and beyond.
Ponies just like this worked the mill.There is also a lot of machinery left after crushing was mechanized (rather than horse-drawn). The quarry closed in 1940.Boardwalk to Hermaness cliffs. Endless, it seemed. Very wet and very very windy. Got gannets?So many!! Fighting that wind on this day.I love them so.The northernmost edge of Scotland and the UK. It’s Iceland, Norway, and the Faroes from here.It was wonderful to see many many gannets in their nests! And not all the death from 2022.
No windscreen for my iPhone mic! And couldn’t get close enough to the edge to film the cliffsides. But it was a whole lotta gannets.It was too windy to adventure much on this day. Lighthouse in the distance, we’re leaving without puffin-spotting.Did spot a windblown bonxie, though. It was too hunkered down to attack us.Amazingly mellow bonxie!We dropped by the Saxavord missile launch site.If you want to go unnoticed, you can sneak in in sheep’s clothing.Skaw Beach, furthest north beach in the UK. Incredible geology.I believe this is Lewissian Gneiss. Lots of beautiful granite.Space!
Stopping by the Keen of Hamar was essential! Just to spot the rare Edmondson’s Chickweed and dig the geology. Not literally.
OrchidEdmondson’s Chickweed, only found here!The Chickweed!So many other flowers and plants as well!I love the unexpected. The serpentine rocks are just so varied and beautiful.So many varieties of wildflowers in this seemingly blasted landscape!
There are so many things to love about Shetland. This is one of my favorite spots. Next time I’ll take the long hike along the cliffs that start here.
Debkakes in the UK 2025 