SMUGGLERS AND THE PRESS GANG

The coastline of Skerries is rugged and endlessly fascinating. Even the names of features provide much interest, such as Tammy Tyrie's Hidey Hol, linked to a historical need to evade the press gang. The Royal Navy's habit of landing on Skerries and indeed other parts of Shetland in search of able-bodied men to crew its ships was much feared, and preparations for evading the pursuing sailors were always in hand. Smuggling was once a useful source of additional income, and the caves and inlets were handy for storing all kinds of contraband Skerries far-flung easterly position made it a usefully isolated landing point for smugglers from Scandinavia and Holland.

DREAMING OF TREASURE

Out on the south-westerly tip of the Point of Mioness, though, you can dream of treasure, for it was here, in 1960, in the Dregging Geos, that old Skerries stories about gold and silver coin being found came home to roost. A silver ducatoon and a 1711 gold ducat were found, prompting a mini-treasure hunt.

They had come from the gold-laden wreck De Liefde, and since then she, the Kennemerland and the Danish warship Wrangels Palais have been excavated over many years and are the subject of legal protection. Skerries remains a popular destination for underwater explorers, as well as more casual beachcombers hoping for the glitter of gold in the sand. Who knows? You may be lucky.