August 29 - Day 33 MORE Adventures in Shetland

After our tour of Ranger Howard's art exhibit we headed a tiny bit north out of Lerwick to a tiny little town called Tingwall and our B&B for the night the Valley B&B.

The Valley B&B

This little guy sat on the steps of the house...

There was a shetland pony farm across the street...

Shetland Ponies!

I'm ready for my close up!

Constance and the shetland pony getting to know each other...

After our visit with the ponies we headed toward Scalloway. Peter, the proprietor of the Valley B&B, was from Scalloway and recommended that we go to have a look at the Scalloway Castle. It's kept locked but he told us that if we asked for the key at the Scalloway Hotel they'd gladly give it to us so we could have a look inside...

Scalloway Castle

There's no roof!

Inside the castle...

Touring about after Scalloway we drove over two bridges which took us to two islands - Tondra and Burra...

On Tondra...or Burra...

Our sporty Kia!

The dirt from the ditch we got stuck in on our first full day in Shetland...

Dunna Chuck Bruck!

From the north we headed south to the Iron Age village of Jarlshof...

Part of these ruins were unearthed by a storm in the late 1800s...the interior of a wheelhouse...

The walls were built to curve inward at the top...

Jarlshof was a fascinating place - very much like the ancient village, Skara Brae in Orkney which was the inspiration for our visit to Shetland in the first place!

The last B&B we stayed in in Shetland was called Setterbrae. Our room was great and had a fantastic view overlooking Spiggie Loch, but we didn't have much of a chance to enjoy our stay as we got there in the early evening and had to leave for the airport first thing in the morning.

So sad were we to leave Shetland...

August 28 - Day 32 More Adventures in Shetland

The next morning we packed our bags, loaded the car and went to the pier and hopped on a boat to take a ride around the Isle of Noss...

The little beach in Lerwich that we happened upon our first night in town - a view from the water...

The edge of Lerwick...there is a path I ran on that wraps around the edge...

...and the cemetery...

...looking back...

We saw dolphins...

See?

Bressay Lighthouse (also built by the Stevenson family) - or "Bressa Light" on Bressay Island

Dramatic cliffs from the sea...

Beautiful light...

Sunning seals...

Showing off seal...

Um...birds...

Approaching Noss...

Light

Cool arch...

Interesting cliff faces...tunnels and caves...

Passageways...

Gannets on the cliffside...

Close up...

Lots of gannets...

I said LOTS of gannets...

...and a seal...

After our wonderful tour of Noss, we went to the newly renovated Lerwick Museum for lunch and to have a look at Howard Towll's (that's Ranger Howard to you) art exhibit. I didn't take any pictures but here are a few I downloaded from his website (http://www.howardtowll.com/)

Hare Stare

Big Ears Running

Early Morning Otter

Hang Gliding Gannets

August 27 - Day 31 Adventures in Shetland

Touring around Lunna and the northern mainland...

Shetland Pony!

Shetland Sheep!

Shetland Black Guillemots!

Shetland Scenery

Shetland Ruins - there are ruins like this all over Shetland

Lunna Kirk - the oldest church in Shetland that is still in regular use...

The ancient kirk of Lunna

Funky horse head outside of funky antique shop...

Field of heather...

After touring around Lunna, getting the car stuck in a ditch, getting out of the ditch with the help of a couple of Scottish Utility workers, Constance and I headed to the northern part of the mainland. We had lunch at the St. Magnus Bay Hotel and found our way to the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary where we met Jan, Pebbles and Nemo...

And this beautiful dog whose name I didn't get...

This is Jan, who opened the sanctuary in 1987, Pebbles in the pool and Nemo in the ray of light...

Nemo

Pebbles

From the wildlife sanctuary we found our way to the dramatic cliffs of Eshaness...

It was a little chilly...

Walking toward the edge...

Getting close...but not too close...

Oh the drama!

So beautiful...

Eshaness Lighthouse - built by David Stevenson - grandson of Robert Stevenson (who built the Sumburgh Lighthouse) and cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson...

Up close and personal...

Just take one more step back...

Dore Holm - An islet off the south coast of Eshaness, known for havning "one of the finest natural arches in Shetland" as well as for its most unusal shape that has been compared to a "horse drinking deeple from the water." 

The lovely Constance standing in front of our bed and breakfast - the Fort Charlotte Guest House

As promised we went back to Da Noost that night to see Donald (with a "t") and his "lady" Denise...

Constance and Denise...

Me and Denise...

Me and Denise flank the poor bartender Stuart...

And last but not least, some random cantankerous patron whose name I didn't get...

Goodnight!