Day 15 (4th July 2022)

 I thought I'd get this done early again today as tomorrow promises to be a long one with an early start. 

I met a couple of folk yesterday evening  who are climbing and cycling their way around the Scottish Isles. One of them was not only familiar with Sea Power but remembered the Tshirt and was full of goodwill towards my current escapade. 

One of today's Germinal CCXXIV places was a bit hidden away from public view unless you happen to own a boat, which sadly we don't. Having said that, the winds around some of the Shetland Islands can be pretty dramatic and the weather turns on a sixpence. But following Robin from the Visitors Centres advice, we travelled to a far flung corner of Northmavine so that we could look over St.Magnus Bay to stop #33

VE SKERRIES

So once again, I'm praying on your good nature to believe that there are actually a group of tiny islands out in the distance beyond that big one you can just about make out to the left of the picture! We were standing in the abandoned Old Haaf fishing station on Stenness peninsula surrounded by sheep. In the 10 minutes it took to walk there having parked in sunshine, the wind picked up at least 5 force points and it started raining horizontally, and the first three photo attempts didn't work because raindrops kept obscuring the camera lens. The  Ve Skerries are the most westerly part of the Shetlands (assuming you don't count Foula) and as far as I'm aware are uninhabited. They lie to the north-west of Papa Stour, which obscure them from the nearest coast line, hence why we had to travel miles and miles (only to have them obscured by the bloody weather!)

Both before and after the appointment at Old Haaf, we had stopped to admire the coastal scenery which is pretty amazing around the Eshaness headland.

While looking at the map, I realised that I could fit in another Shetland Germinal CCXXIV place with relative ease. I was going to go there tomorrow, but decided  to change my mind on the  grounds of well why the hell not. Now Robin had warned me about the dangers of photography near this next place, citing industrial espionage but once we got close I twigged that he had been pulling my leg. There is even a tourist information board explains all. Stop #34

SULLOM VOE

Sullom and Sullom Voe have had a few incarnations over time. Starting life as a sleepy little fishing community before WWII started, it became an important RAF base for their flying boat planes. In the 70s it had a new lease of life when a huge oil & gas terminal was built. I also realised that maybe I got it wrong yesterday about Voe being the word for town, although somewhat confusingly there is a town called Voe on Shetland. 

I was also wondering if fellow Sea Power fan Neil Gardner had ever been/worked here, being the petrochemical industry engineering whizzkid that he is.

Once again within minutes the weather turned frightful so we decided to head  for home and crack open a bottle of wine. Just before we arrived at Skeld, Guy spotted a tiny beach that looked like it belonged to the house next to it. We drove down, and within seconds he was in the water. It was very cold he told me.

Allons-y 

Douglas Germinal CCXXIV Brain over and out