The Big City

On the way back to Lerwick, we took a detour to the island of Fetlar. The ferry charges a flat fee on the trip from the "mainland" to Yell, then everything else is included, so we could hardly skip visiting yet another island, right? And it was different. 

Fetlar
Often called the garden of Shetland, geologic differences mean that it has been easier to grow crops on Fetlar. At one time, almost 800 people lived on this 7-mile wide island. But in the 18th century, land barons "cleared" this land of people (more clearances) for sheep. Today the island has a population of 68. There are still a lot of sheep, but apparently you can't make a living on sheep alone - everyone has at least one other job. We had a lovely visit with the shop keeper in Houbie, who seemed to know everyone. It was a gorgeous sunny day on Fetlar, showing off the beautiful land. We visited the Kirk (now owned by the islanders) and walked along a pretty beach. 

Lerwick
Another 25 minute ferry took us back to Yell, a drive across Yell, the short ferry to the "mainland" and 45 minutes of drive to Lerwick. The sun sets at 4:30, but it was such a clear day that it was just getting dark as we swung into town at 5:15. 

The "city" was a shock after the outer island. So many cars! So many lights! So many buildings! Remember - this is a massive town of 7,000 people. But arriving at Sarah's place was like coming home. We settled right in, and have been taking long rambles around town. 

We missed the big Up Helly Aa - the big annual fire festival - in Lerwick at the end of last month. But we can still see signs, including the Shop Window Competition. Here are some of the windows we saw:

Next Up: Up Helly Ah