Sunrise: 07:30. Sunset 16:00
By my basic arithmetic this meant there was about eight and half hours of daylight each day while I was here - and since you ask, yes most of that was sunshine.
When I talk about spending time on Shetland, most folks assume that I would want to spend time up here in the summer to make the most of daylight and the 'better' weather. The reality is that I really enjoy spending time up on Shetland at any (and all) times of the year. However, you can expect to do every different things at different times of the year.
One of the challenges in summer is that there is just so much daylight - when the sun rises at 03:30 and doesn't get round to setting until after 22:30 (and it really doesn't get properly dark for several weeks around mid-summer) there is a strong temptation to think that one should be outside taking pictures rather than doing anything as mundane as sleeping.
In the winter there are still photographic attractions. There are often big seas rolling in around the coast lines, and there are also fantastically still days when the air has a clarity that you just don't often get in the warmer summer weather.
There are also nocturnal attractions that don't get a chance to appear in summer. The northern lights do regularly put in an appearance - and even when they don't, some of the night skies can be dramatic and in the first few months of each year there will be flaming Vikings much in evidence.
But there are going to be times when even the most diligent photographer does have time to catch-up on processing images and writing notes, and even on occasion getting a decent nights sleep.
I can see the advertising signs already - come to Shetland in the winter for a rest.
There are more pictures from this trip back to Shetland in a Flickr album.
One of the challenges in summer is that there is just so much daylight - when the sun rises at 03:30 and doesn't get round to setting until after 22:30 (and it really doesn't get properly dark for several weeks around mid-summer) there is a strong temptation to think that one should be outside taking pictures rather than doing anything as mundane as sleeping.
In the winter there are still photographic attractions. There are often big seas rolling in around the coast lines, and there are also fantastically still days when the air has a clarity that you just don't often get in the warmer summer weather.
There are also nocturnal attractions that don't get a chance to appear in summer. The northern lights do regularly put in an appearance - and even when they don't, some of the night skies can be dramatic and in the first few months of each year there will be flaming Vikings much in evidence.
But there are going to be times when even the most diligent photographer does have time to catch-up on processing images and writing notes, and even on occasion getting a decent nights sleep.
I can see the advertising signs already - come to Shetland in the winter for a rest.
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| Waves from the southeast battering Scat Ness |
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| Calm clear weather on Scat Ness |
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| Walking the West Voe path |
There are more pictures from this trip back to Shetland in a Flickr album.
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