Not surprisingly, Shetlanders are very much at home in boats whether at work
or play. The traditional Shetland boats - pointed at both ends - have a
Norse ancestry and large four or six-oared versions of these yoals were once
the backbone of the fishing industry. In recent years, competitive rowing
has become very popular.
Smaller sailing versions of the Shetland boat, some
of them very light and fast, have also been developed over the years and
they can be seen in fiercely-contested races at the regattas that are held
all over the islands during the summer months. Such regattas also feature
fishing competitions - the eela - and there will invariably be other
entertainment, including a dance.
If you have experience of coastal cruising in your own yacht or motor
vessel, our uncrowded Shetland waters offer freedom to explore beautiful
seascapes. Lerwick is a popular summer base for yachts from all around the
North Atlantic, but there are dozens of secluded piers and anchorages all
around the islands.
The Lerwick Boating Club extends a warm welcome, and the
use of its facilities, to visitors. Boats can be hired or chartered around
the islands. The Swan, a restored sail fishing vessel, offers cruises
ranging in length from an evening outing in Lerwick Harbour to expeditions
to Norway, Orkney or even more distant destinations such as St Kilda.
Shetland offers first-class diving opportunities. There's an abundance of
wreck sites reaching back from recent times into much earlier maritime
history. The water is crystal clear and, thanks to the Gulf Stream, warmer
than you'd find elsewhere at this latitude. Dive charter services are
available offering all the support, advice and local knowledge you might
want.
Above the surface, canoeing is one of the ways to appreciate Shetland's
spectacular coastal scenery. There is an established club, based at Bridge
End in Burra Isle, which makes visitors very welcome.
Canoes and kayaks
allow exploration of some of the more intimate or inaccessible sections of
the Shetland coast. Papa Stour, for example offers a dramatic sequence of
caves and arches. One passage through a headland is 300m long. Other
memorable journeys can be made around Eshaness, to offshore destinations
like Mousa or to the cluster of small, uninhabited islands south west of
Scalloway.
FISHING
So much of Shetland's heritage is bound up with the sea and with fishing
that it comes as no surprise to discover that the islands are an excellent
base for sea-angling. Whether you're simply after some mackerel, ling or
haddock for a superbly fresh meal, or want to take on the bigger challenge
of halibut or porbeagle shark, Shetland waters are among the most promising
you'll find anywhere. It's usually possible to arrange a trip with one of
the local boat-owners offering charter services. They'll be able to offer
good advice, too.
But Shetland's attractions for the angler aren't only to be found offshore.
For one thing, our sheltered voes are home to sea trout. And inland, the
wild brown trout that swim in Shetland's freshwater lochs are one of our
best-kept secrets. Thanks to more than eighty years of careful management by
the Shetland Anglers' Association, superb fish are to be found in more than
three hundred lochs scattered all around the islands, ready to be tempted by
a fly or spinner. The Association has boats for hire on several of the most
popular lochs. Local advice is freely given, but an excellent guide book,
Trout Fishing in Shetland, is also available.
