Wild Night in Nesbister...

Well what can I say .. definately a very wild night and certainly not one to be camping in. We ended up in Nebister Bod on the west coast north of Salloway. The Bod system has been developed by the Highlands and Islands Council, they have refurbished old dwellings for tourists to stay Some to a high standard and some to very basic conditions. Nebister Bod is one of the later, a mile long hose pipe to the outside for water, a chemical loo and a candle or 2 for lighting - no electricity. The instructions for sorting the loo was to tip it into the sea when we leave. We decided to bypass the loo and use the beach below high water mark - save disposing the chemicals and with the added luxury off wet seaweed instead of loo paper.

We arrived on time in Lerwick after a good overnight crossing. After a coffee and a visit to the tourismo we headed over to the west coast and Scalloway. This was the old capitol of Shetland but declined when the fish disappeared. However it was the headquarters of the 'Shetland Bus'. A special ops thingy during WW2 dropping agents and rescuing distrerss folk from Norway. There is a good musem in Scalloway next to the castle. Pat and i were very interested in the 'Shetland Bus" firstly as naval men but also 'Shetland Bus' was the book we studies for English Literature 'O' level in 1964. P.S. Both of us passed!!!!

We discovered that our proposed campsite for the night had closed which left us a little stranded but we stumbled across Nesbister Bod online and booked the last bunk (the 3 others had already been booked) and Pat volunteered to kip on the floor. It transpied only 1 person turned up, the other 2 had posponed there stay. We shared with Hazel, a forties something lady from Hitchin who had been on a weeks sea kayking course and was spending another couple of weeks on Shetland. Brave lady to be in an islolated stone shack, on the end of a spit, surrounded by water with no escape with 2 old fuddy duddys of unknow moral standing. She was good fun and hope she enjoys the next 3 nights in the bod.

We have been looking for clues to the British Cycle Quest - there are 402 in the UK and 6 in Shetand, we have found 2 and should find 2 more before we leave. We are now back in Lerwick awainting the departure of "MV Good Shepherd IV" so Fair Isle. After driving rain and gales overnight today is calmer and the sun is out. On Fair Isle the hotel has burnt down so we will be wild camping for a couple of night.

The folk up here are very friendly and helpful, the divers great and give us plenty of room when passing and we have not be peeped or cut up. Tis all good.

Distance 29 miles so far - may not sound far but boy, Shetland have some steep and long hills added to a strong southerly wind has made the cycling challenging.