Another glorious day on the "mainland of the Shetland Islands.
I hiked the coastal train from Sumbergh Head back to the hotel after getting a ride up. This is the piece of the Shetlands which is the southern peninsula that sticks down toward Orkneys and Scotland. The headland separates the North Atlantic Ocean from the North Sea.
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| From the top of the lighthouse: Atlantic on right, North Sea on left |
The area is now an RSPB (Royal Society for Protection of Birds) refuge which manages the wilelife, and protects the historic light house. The lighthouse is now automated but has been there for several hundred years. It was an important radar station in WWII and warned Britian of the German air attacks against Scappa Flow in the Orkneys, thus saving the British Navy. "The Pearl Harbor that wasn't," was an interesting exhibit.
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| Looking north from the top. |
This is daisy season here for wild flowers. The birdlife is wonderful and why I was visiting. Puffins are everywhere--thousands. They are so easy to see that I managed to actually take pictures with my little camera. Other delights--guillemots, gannets, fulmars, kittiwakes, oystercatchers. My big excitement were Skuas, both great skua and artcic skua. They are the dominant predator here and were all over the place. I also saw grey seals swimming from my tip top post. Only pictures of puffins here--I just could not get over how close they were.
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| Puffin head emerging from its burrow just under the grass |
After spending time at the top in the pleasant visitor center, I hiked back to the hotel via the coastal trail. The photos below are looking back up the trail from about half way. It is about 2.5 miles.
All remained fairly sunny and mild until almost back home. Rain started as I was near the hotel so I broke in my new hat. But how civilized to be warm and cozy for afternoon coffee and cupcake.
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