Back up North / 17th January 2020

It seems like ages since I faced up to the 03:30 alarm clock on a Friday.  As always, it's a struggle to get started at that time (it's a deeply unnatural time to get up) and even the cats look at me as if I've taken leave of my senses.

On the plus side, there's not much competition for seats on the early bus to Heathrow, the queues to get breakfast are short and there's a fighting chance that the Heathrow runway delays won't have started yet.  And the real bonus - there's a decent chance of being on Shetland before 11:00.

And so it was.  The connection went smoothly at Aberdeen and my little rental car was waiting for me at the airport, and by midday I had my boots on and was at Sumburgh Head taking pictures of the waves rolling into the West Voe of Sumburgh. And there was, for a while at least, some sunshine too.

The last couple of stays on Shetland have been characterised by the (near) absence of wind - but there is no shortage of wind at the moment.  The plane was shoogling entertainingly on the final approach, as a driver you need to remember how to park the car (for info - facing into wind so that the doors get blown shut rather than blown off - as the sign in the car reminds you "Damage will affect your excess") and as a pedestrian you need to make sure your hat doesn't blow away.

Waves rolling into West Voe of Sumburgh

Crashing In

And since no day at the south end of Shetland is complete without a visit to Scat Ness, that was my next stop.  I've enthused about Scat Ness on more blog posts than is sensible but as a place to watch and photograph waves there's nowhere I'd rather be, particularly when the seas are rolling in from the southwest with the wind following the waves in.

Blowing up a Storm - on Scat Ness

Incoming - Scat Ness

An hour watching the waves might not cure all life's ill - but it certainly takes you mind off them, at least for a while.  Highly recommended.