I made my way home to Shetland today.  All went very smoothly and my suitcase even came along for the ride, which is an unusual occurrence these days.

We landed at Aberdeen on our huge British Airways flight. A proper big airplane which merited the full Aberdeen Airport experience.

This is the gate you get if you are a British Airways customer.  Clean, tidy, organised, new….. ready to go.

Other flights, both national and international, also get the same treatment.

And then there is the Sumburgh flight.  Firstly, you leave the lovely shops/coffee bars/restaurants and departure gates to climb up a flight of stairs and walk down a long corridor.

Then turn left and keep walking right down to the very end……

Note this is where the money/airport investment stops.  Slightly less classy.

Keep going along your corridor, past the outer spiral arms of the Aberdeen Airport galaxy.

One notices that everything is becoming shabbier and grottier as you go – yes, those are ripped up seats or ones worn away by the bottoms of weary travellers who have walked the corridored miles.

The dingy corridor gets darker and more uninviting until you are now beginning to feel like something that would’ve been swept under the carpet if they could be bothered to have one.  It is cold but no worries, the radiator is going to burn you. There are numerous signs telling you this.

And onto the plane to Shetland where life gets instantly better because of the free cup of tea and Tunnock caramel wafer.

But best of all, I know I am going home.

I cannot forgive Aberdeen Airport.  They treat Shetland residents and visitors like second class citizens who have no worth at all.  There is no intention of change – they’ve told us that.  Thanks a lot.  The person next to me said it did Shetland no favours at all.  I had to agree.

But I am home and that is all that matters to me.