7th June, Tuesday

Drizzly morning, but so was yesterday and the afternoon was wonderful… but I’m glad I decided to go up to Hermaness yesterday afternoon as the visibility was great.

Information about Unst:

1  Geologically it is in two halves; North America continent and Iapetus Ocean,which includes Serpentine, Chromate and talc

In’t it odd that the only places in the British Isles where serpentine is found is northern Shetland Isles and the Lizard in Cornwall?

This is a jolly good way of illustrating geology although I would have liked a cross section

Both exposed at Norwick bay

2  Robert Louis Stevenson came here in 1869 and his Treasure Island map is based on Unst – his dad built the Muckle Flugga lighthouse.

3 The only place in the world you can find Edmondston’s Chickweed is on Unst (and I found it)

The “capital” of Unst is Baltasound.  In the herring boom years its population rose from 500 to 10,000 during the season.

Baltasound from the Keen of Hamar

 

Remains of herring-related buildings, Baltasound

In the British Isles it has the most northerly school, the most northerly brewery,

the most northerly leisure centre, the most northerly airport (no evidence of any activity – probably since the closure of the Early warning station), the most northerly petrol filling station and, now (previously it was at Haroldswick which is more northerly than Baltasound), the most northerly Post Office.

There are 3 shops and the only 2 petrol filling stations on Unst, what used to be the most northerly licenced premises at the Baltasound Hotel (now it’s at Saxa Vord) and there is the smartest bus stop on the British Isle, complete with TV, telephone, computer – with, maybe internet connection?

But it isn’t the most northerly

that’s at Norwick

– I am parked up next to that for the night in Norwick bay which comprises of 4 houses, one of which is being done up in a major way.  Norwick Bay is also where the two geologcial parts of Unst appear, so maybe I am parked on a major faultline.

A card by a Norfolk artist of the same scene from my “bedroom” window – but I am getting beyond myself…

Haroldswick lies to the north of Baltasound and is a failing settlement – the post office has gone, the school is now the museum, the RAF at Saxa Vord closed in 2006 leaving behind all its buildings.

There is a brave attempt to run a hotel/hostel in part of the compound with the mess being open to the public.  I went to have lunch there just to have the experience.  The surroundings were interesting and very 1960’s.  My meal,  the “chicken curry” special was dire.

Haroldswick has 2 museums (Baltasound has none): the Unst Boat Haven and the Unst Heritage Centre.  Neither opened will 11 so I had a walk around the bay to investigate a Viking type boat which is the  “Skidbladner”.

The Norwegians, every so often build a Viking boat and sail it to wherever.  In 2000 this one was destined for America but the boat was built quickly and badly and the crew mutinied and it ended up in Haroldswick and will probably stay there.  Next to it a Viking longhouse is being built, due to be finished in December 2010.  From the speed of the work, it is unlikely to be December 2011…

Useful sign in Unst Boat Haven

I was the only visitor in Unst Boat Haven, and the chap in charge was very knowledgible and enthusiastic and I had a personal tour. I know a lot more about sixareen: the Shetlanders line fishing vessel which was rowed by 6 men and also had a square sail. There was a fishing disaster – will “do” this tomorrow.

  A sixareen

What a square sail looks like

s A normal lighthouse flag

A lighthouse flag, flown when important people (commissioners?) are visiting.  But spot the difference in the Union flag – there is nothing for Northern Ireland because the comissioners aren’t commisioners for Northern Ireland…

It was an excellent museum – too much to take in: in addition to sailing stuff, war stuff, lighthouse stuff, whaling stuff, massive stuff about fishing, ferries, wrecks.. exhausting but excellent.  And I was persuaded by the nice man – we were great friends by then – to buy an Unst Boat Haven badge on the grounds that there was nowhere else in the world to buy it – so there is a proud owner

 

 

and the most northerly church (methodist) is at Norwick.

So then it was flowers.  The Keen of Hamar is serpentine and has flowers there not found anywhere else.  There are little information boards mounted on block of stone which can be placed near the blooms so you go out looking for the information boards – a bit like a treasure hunt – so I’ve not become brilliant at finding and identifying flowers.

Unplaced information boards

The terrain

So, as well as Edmondston’s Chickweed:

 

There were a lot of others which didn’t have boards but I haven’t identified them yet…