Day 1
We set off from Skye bright and early for the 7 hour drive to Aberdeen. Stopped for lunch at McDonalds on the edge of Nairn. Not ideal, but we only wanted a quick pit stop and the loos were extremely clean. Then, running early for the ferry, we paused again at JG Ross Bakers just outside Inverurie, off the A96 at Highclere. https://www.jg-ross.co.uk This is a wonderful find. A small grocery store with takeaway food and other supermarket provisions, but the hidden gem is their large bakery café/restaurant, which serves breakfast and lunch. We were too late for lunch but were able to partake of cake and coffee. It was really excellent and not expensive. We then proceeded to the ferry terminal, but were still too early, so parked up in the Union Square shopping centre just opposite the terminal and went for a browse. Then back to the ferry terminal and onto the ferry for our overnight sailing to Lerwick, Shetland.
We were travelling with our own car and it’s worth bearing in mind that this ferry has a ‘lower’ car deck which is quite difficult to park on. You have to drive down a very steep ramp and you are then guided into position by the crew. The cars are parked extremely close together and it can be tricky to get out of (and back into) your car. Disembarking involves a tricky reversing move to get into position to drive back up the ramp. For the return we asked to be positioned on the main car deck – much better, and apparently what the locals do.
We had opted for an executive two berth cabin, which turned out to have bunk beds! Not idea for us more mature travellers! But Mr Skyegirl (let’s call him Skyeboy) elected for the upper berth. The cabin was well equipped with ensuite shower room, with basin and WC, tea and coffe making facilities and a porthole. But best of all it came with access to the Magnus Lounge. This gave us free soft and hot drinks and table service for dinner (instead of self service cafeteria). You still have to pay for the meals but the atmosphere is quieter. Two glasses of wine/beer per person are also included in access to the Magnus Lounge. As is a continental (cold) breakfast in the morning before docking.
I chose fish and chips and Skyeboy had the ‘special’ which was beef pie served with chips and peas. For pudding he had Eton Mess and I had ice cream.
Then outside to the upper deck to watch Aberdeen recede into the distance, particularly interesting is the historic village of Footdee (not surprisingly at the mouth of the river Dee) and the sunset.
A smooth crossing and decent sleep, followed by continental breakfast in the Magnus Lounge at 0630. Then at 0730 we docked in Lerwick and disembarked. It’s worth pointing out that the crossing can be made without a car. On board accommodation varies from reclining seats in a lounge, to ‘pods’ (which look not much better than the seats), inside cabins without porthole, and outside cabins. There are various car hire options in Shetland, but Bolts seemed to be the one we saw most of.
We weren’t going to be able to access our holiday cottage until 4pm, so had a day to ‘kill’. We drove south to Sumburgh Head and drove up to the lighthouse car park but it was way too windy and rainy, so we sat in the car and watched the seabirds buffeted by the wind. Then back to Lerwick for lunch in the Isleburgh Community Café. This is a hidden gem run by the local council. It’s in a community centre and there were lots of activities such as music groups and kids dance classes going on as it was a Saturday morning. You have to ‘book’ a table, but this can be done at reception as you enter the building. A rather odd quirk! Anyhow, we decided to have an ‘all day Scottish breakfast’ for our lunch, so bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, mushroom, tattie scone, tomato, black pudding and baked beans. All very good and washed down with tea and coffee. A bargain at about £10 each including drinks.
More to come...