Last night I looked out of the bathroom window (after my nightly shower) and saw the faint glow of the Northern Lights or the Merrie Dancers, as they are called here.

But as they didn’t look very promising, I went to bed to lie on my acupressure mat for a while.

Then I saw on Facebook a friend posting photos of the aurora from his house and I also received a message from another friend saying they were out, so I hum’ed and haw’ed and decided to get up to see if it had improved around us.

Outside a good show was going on.  So, I stood there in my dressing gown and slippers possibly in the compost heap (a good vantage point) taking endless photos.  It was definitely worth it.

The aurora was changing all the time – in colour and in shape and I think I was beginning to see faces….. which was worrying.

Definitely faces. I see them.

It was looking strong from the left but the big shed was blocking me so I took myself to other side of the house which has a lower horizon to see if I could find better. Success!  It was in ribbons.

I nearly tripped up over ‘Ster who was sitting on the track peacefully chewing his cud.  I apologised to him and turned my torch on a bit higher while I walked trying to avoid any other sheep.  I definitely saw Lambie. He ignored me as usual.

And when anyone asks me why I live in Shetland, I shall show them this photo.  This is why, I will tell them.  This is my perfect place.

(I got to bed just after midnight)

Once every few years I go to the Shetland Museum in Lerwick.  It is an excellent place to a) show visitors the history of Shetland and b) spend a few hours wandering around looking at the exhibits.

Vaila Mae is a replica of the nineteenth century Shetland sixareen Industry LK718

(forgive me if my narrative now looks like the contents of Wikipedia, because it most probably is and I have the brain of a hen!)

The historic displays start outside just next to where I park the car – this is one of the propeller blades from the RMS Oceanic – a transatlantic ocean liner built for the White Star Line (same time as RMS Titanic).  Salvaged from the sea between Mid Walls (end of my track) and Foula on “Da Shaalds o’ Foula” (hazardous underwater reef) where the ship was wrecked in 1914.

Laura Kay LK36, a traditional fishing boat designed and built in Shetland around 2008

Stourbrough Hill is the hill behind our house. I see it every day.  To think those beautiful ceremonial knives were found there! Incredible.

Stourbrough knife hoard, composed of 19 knives, each placed upright and bookended by sandstone blocks. The hoard was found in eroding peat near the summit of a hill.

St Ninian’s Isle Treasure – a hoard of Pictish silverware buried for centuries until the 1950s. It is the best example of surviving silver metalwork from the early medieval period in Scotland.

The Monk Stone – a Pictish altar, with carvings of Christian missionaries

Loom weights

Shetland’s oldest surviving document – 1299 AD – A record of a legal case concerning allegations of corruption by a local woman, Ragnhild Simunsdatter, against the Duke’s representative.

Reconstruction of a Shetland home from around 1750

Sixareen boat – clinker-built, they were crewed by six men who manned a single oar; giving them the name ‘sixareen’. These boats also had a square sail which would be used if the wind was blowing in the right direction.

“Rivals in the North” – (Edmund Miller) – commemorating the first air service to Shetland.

Ship’s bell from the Avanti Savoia, a steel barque built 1890 in Genoa, Italy.

The ever-famous Fair Isle knitwear.

And amazing fine knitted lace shawls.

Model of “the Swan” – The Fifie Swan LK 243 launched 1900. Still going strong and much loved by everyone.

The westside of the main island is sometimes referred to as “the sunny Westside”, obviously said smugly by those who live there.

As we have a visitor, we are showing him the island – well, as much as I can drive around.

Yesterday it was the sunny Westside’s turn.

So, here we are on the road to West Burrafirth – a favourite drive – looking east towards the wind farm that sits on the hills doing very little.  They are mostly kept switched off until the infrastructure is ready for them in Scotland.  ‘Nuff said.

Sulma Water

After West Burrafirth, we drove over to Silwick to see the Westerwick coastal cliffs.

Then down through Skeld, past the marina.

And for a walk on Reawick beach with its distinctive red-coloured sand.

We had the beach almost to ourselves, which was lovely.

With weather and scenery like this, it don’t get much better in my book.

Yesterday we drove to the north part of our main island to show our visitor the sights.

On our way back, we dropped in to Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary as I had been told earlier they had two seals rehabilitating there.

This is Smudge.  He is a grey seal, estimated to be about 11 months old who was found at West Voe beach (located on the Southern tip of Shetland, right by Sumburgh Airport). 

He was fully moulted but struggling out in wild.

He has a deformity in his rear flippers and so is only really swimming with his front flippers.

He has a number of issues with feeding and struggles to eat his first fish at each serving. 

It is like every day is new and he has to remember the process of eating and how it actually works. 

He is very placid in nature but the Sanctuary don’t feel he would survive in wild.

Smudge will be a long term resident.

And then there is Leo who is a common seal pup.

He came on 20th June from Westray, Orkney. 

He was thought to be only 2-3 days old when found and travelled over to Shetland on Northlink ferry (we are all wondering if he had a cabin or a pod). 

Leo has progressed well and will probably be releasing in another couple of weeks.

They both had very different characters. Leo was more like Pepper – irritating, playful, wanted to annoy for fun and Smudge was more like the child who is picked on in the school playground who didn’t know why.  So sweet, though and I can see why he’s staying.

(It was the most relaxing wonderful afternoon watching the two seals swim happily in their lovely outdoor pool – huge thanks to Hillswick Wildlife `Sanctuary for showing us round and putting up with my idiotic questions!)

Our morning was spent clearing out the sheep shed getting it ready for winter.  Like I said yesterday, hard work in the morning and then fun in the afternoon.

And the results are glorious.  Just the clean new bedding to go down and we are ready to go.

Everything in its place and a place for everything, or something like that.

And our reward was a trip up north with an excellent fish and chip lunch first at Frankie’s in Brae.  Half way to our destination.

The first photo tourist stop was Mavis Grind – a narrow isthmus where the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean almost meet.

Then on northwards past Dore Holm – an amazing rock formation with a large natural arch standing in the sea.

And then Eshaness – “one of the highest energy coastlines in the world“.  I can believe that.  Look at this video……

Video by Nick McCaffrey

But this is today’s calm sea.

Eshaness is an incredible place and never fails to impress.

Lots of walking for us all.  I took my walking poles and going along very well.

And then onwards to the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary to meet Smudge…..

And Leo.

More tomorrow about them. I am tired now. I always under-estimate just how long it takes to drive up north and back but I am very glad we did it.  A great reward for all our hard work this morning.  Well done us.