2015   Northern Isles

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	After a good start, we had to motor into a miserable chop for the last half day, into the comfortable and enjoyable harbour of Lerwick. We were made very welcome by Gerald Freshwater, a semi-retired GP who we had got to know through the Cruising Association. We also met a small group of very musical sailors and had some fun evening in the Lerwick sailing club.
	The coasts of Shetland are beautiful, but he weather was against sailing much.  We had a good tour by car one beautiful day
	We find puffins endlessly amusing, and there are lots of them in Shetland. Double click to see full size, then use the back button on your browser to return here
	Today, the Shetlanders live largely off servicing the North Sea oil wells, after hundreds of tough years living off fishing around these treeless isles. Although part of the UK, the people feel more affinity for Norway, and talk about "Going to Scotland" when the go to visit mainland UK. There are remains of an advanced civilization almost as old as the pyramids in the islands, but little is known about who these people were.  The Jarlshof ruins seen here were uncovered by a major storm, and have since been excavated and studied extensively.
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