When glaciers
melted over 10,000 years ago, the sea created more than a hundred Shetland
islands, flooding a range of ice-worn hills and valleys rising from what's
now the bed of the North Sea. From space, the archipelago looks like a giant
jigsaw of interlocking fingers of land and water. Nowhere is more than 5km
from the sea and even sheltered inland valleys feel the influence of salty
gales.
The varied coastline has everything from high cliffs
inlets to sandy bays and sheltered inlets - even salt marshes. As a result
there's a wide range of habitats for fish, seals, otters, birds, plants and
insects. Being on the overlap between the temperate and sub-Arctic climatic
zones adds to the natural variety, as does the fact that in winter Shetland
is the warmest place on latitude 60N - the sea never freezes over.
The geography also makes Shetland ideal for summer sailing: there are dozens
of sheltered, natural harbours many now, boasting good piers, slipways and
marinas; most of the coast is "steep to", with deep water close to shore and
nearly all dangers clearly visible if there's a swell running; the coast is
well charted and visiting yachts have the reassurance that local search and
rescue services are first class.
