Ferry service: Shetlands, Faroes, Orkneys

Following up to chancellor of the duchy of besses o' th' barn

I posted the following news link
on some other groups recently- it's hilarious IMO!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4361079.stm

Obviously not a lot of crime on Sanday! I got the feeling the
writer really wanted them to be royal swans and was a little
disapointed when they found it was routine protected birds
legislation.
--
Mike Reid
Wasdale-Thames path-London-Photos "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

Following up to george

Is Sanday the island where the
sheep are walled off from the inerior to eat seaweed on the beach, or
is that North Ronaldsay?

North Ronaldsay. It would be nice to try some. The difference
between standard lamb and a Lake District wether is so noticeable
I suspect N Ronadlsay mutton might be an experience. Our local
butcher keeps Orkney beef and lamb (London) the truck doing a
weekly trip. The driver says he's halfway at Aberdeen!
--
Mike Reid
Wasdale-Thames path-London-Photos "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

Is Sanday the island where the sheep are walled off from the
interior to eat seaweed on the beach, or is that North Ronaldsay?
North Ronaldsay. It would be nice to try some. The difference
between standard lamb and a Lake District wether is so noticeable
I suspect N Ronadlsay mutton might be an experience.

Probably just grass-fed, but it's well worth trying the Shetland
salt mutton - you can buy it in Lerwick but as far as I know it's
never exported to Scotland.

Sanday has been a vaguely-alternative place for nearly 30 years,
when Stuart Christie moved there. Christie is an anarchist who
did time in a Spanish jail for a conspiracy to assassinate Franco
and went on to found Cienfuegos Press, an anarchist publishing
firm, when he got out - he seems to have reasoned that Sanday was
so small any MI5 spooks watching him would have been obvious.

============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ==============
Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760
http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/ for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975
stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557

Is Sanday the island where the sheep are walled off from the
interior to eat seaweed on the beach, or is that North Ronaldsay?
North Ronaldsay. It would be nice to try some. The difference
between standard lamb and a Lake District wether is so noticeable
I suspect N Ronadlsay mutton might be an experience.

Probably just grass-fed, but it's well worth trying the Shetland
salt mutton - you can buy it in Lerwick but as far as I know it's
never exported to Scotland.

Sanday has been a vaguely-alternative place for nearly 30 years,
when Stuart Christie moved there. Christie is an anarchist who
did time in a Spanish jail for a conspiracy to assassinate Franco
and went on to found Cienfuegos Press, an anarchist publishing
firm, when he got out - he seems to have reasoned that Sanday was
so small any MI5 spooks watching him would have been obvious.

============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ==============
Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760
http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/ for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975
stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557

Is Sanday the island where the sheep are walled off from the
interior to eat seaweed on the beach, or is that North Ronaldsay?
North Ronaldsay. It would be nice to try some. The difference
between standard lamb and a Lake District wether is so noticeable
I suspect N Ronadlsay mutton might be an experience.

Probably just grass-fed, but it's well worth trying the Shetland
salt mutton - you can buy it in Lerwick but as far as I know it's
never exported to Scotland.

Sanday has been a vaguely-alternative place for nearly 30 years,
when Stuart Christie moved there. Christie is an anarchist who
did time in a Spanish jail for a conspiracy to assassinate Franco
and went on to found Cienfuegos Press, an anarchist publishing
firm, when he got out - he seems to have reasoned that Sanday was
so small any MI5 spooks watching him would have been obvious.

============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ==============
Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760
http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/ for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975
stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557

(Ed T.) wrote in message . com...
Hi;

I'm planning a trip to the islands north of Scotland. Tips and advice
welcome!

Hi;

I have booked a non-refundable, non-transferable, non-whateverable
flight. I arrive in Glasgow 0630 Sat June 4th, and leave Glasgow 0815
Sat June 25th. (This is Air Transat. It could go bankrupt, in the
tradition of Canadian charter airlines. Or in the special Air Transat
tradition, it could quietly land me in the Azores....)

The original itinerary I posted to this thread basically gave me 4
days Faroes, 5 days Shetlands, 5 days Orkneys. (Can be increased to 6
days Shetlands by leaving on the Sunday ferry--that's the departure I
am now using below.)

I looked at ferry schedules to see if I can increase my time in the
Faroes. What seems possible is to spend 8 days Faroes, 5 days
Shetlands, 3 days Orkneys. (The choice is either 4 days or 8 days in
the Faroes--it's all driven by Smyril Lerwick-Torshavn schedule.)

Given that I will never likely again make it to the Faroes, while the
Orkneys are fairly easy to get to if one is in Scotland, I am now
leaning to this itinerary:

Abereen Lerwick Sun/Mon June 5/6
Lerwick Torshavn Wed Jun 8
Torshavn Lerwick Fri Jun 17
Lerwick Kirkwall Mon Jun 20
*Kirkwall Aberdeen Wed/Thu June 22/23?
*Stromness Scrabster Wed or Thu Jun 22 or 23?

Questions:

1) What do people think of this apportioning of time to the islands?

2) Would it make any sense to spend more time in the Shetlands and
skip the Orkneys entirely?

3) Aberdeen is the logical port travelling to/from Shetlands.
However, with the Orkneys there is an alternative. In the above
itinerary, I could return to the mainland at Scabaster, and take the
train or bus down to Glasgow. How's the scenery on the train or bus?
If it's good, then I'd be inclined to this routing. Gives a chance to
overnight perhaps in Inverness.

I also came up with a revised itinerary that does the Orkneys first
(to avoid the St. Magnus festival). This does not give an extended
stay on the Faroes--I can't work out any combination that does Orkneys
first *and* has a week on the Faroes:

*Aberdeen Kirkwall Sun Jun 5?
*Scrabster Stromness Sun Jun 5?
Kirkwall Lerwick Thu/Fri Jun 9/10 or Sat/Sun Jun 11/12
Lerwick Torshavn Wed Jun 15
Torshavn Lerwick Mon Jun 20
Lerwick Aberdeen Wed/Thu Jun 22/23

This has the advantages:
-furthest north at summer solstice
-avoids St. Magnus festival
-gives 5 to 7 days in Orkneys

This has the disadvantages:
-only 4 days in Shetlands and Faroes

Again, all advice welcome! Northlink wrote me and said that their
sailings in June can sell out, so I need to start making arrangements
now.

(Ed T.) wrote in message . com...
Hi;

I'm planning a trip to the islands north of Scotland. Tips and advice
welcome!

Hi;

I have booked a non-refundable, non-transferable, non-whateverable
flight. I arrive in Glasgow 0630 Sat June 4th, and leave Glasgow 0815
Sat June 25th. (This is Air Transat. It could go bankrupt, in the
tradition of Canadian charter airlines. Or in the special Air Transat
tradition, it could quietly land me in the Azores....)

The original itinerary I posted to this thread basically gave me 4
days Faroes, 5 days Shetlands, 5 days Orkneys. (Can be increased to 6
days Shetlands by leaving on the Sunday ferry--that's the departure I
am now using below.)

I looked at ferry schedules to see if I can increase my time in the
Faroes. What seems possible is to spend 8 days Faroes, 5 days
Shetlands, 3 days Orkneys. (The choice is either 4 days or 8 days in
the Faroes--it's all driven by Smyril Lerwick-Torshavn schedule.)

Given that I will never likely again make it to the Faroes, while the
Orkneys are fairly easy to get to if one is in Scotland, I am now
leaning to this itinerary:

Abereen Lerwick Sun/Mon June 5/6
Lerwick Torshavn Wed Jun 8
Torshavn Lerwick Fri Jun 17
Lerwick Kirkwall Mon Jun 20
*Kirkwall Aberdeen Wed/Thu June 22/23?
*Stromness Scrabster Wed or Thu Jun 22 or 23?

Questions:

1) What do people think of this apportioning of time to the islands?

2) Would it make any sense to spend more time in the Shetlands and
skip the Orkneys entirely?

3) Aberdeen is the logical port travelling to/from Shetlands.
However, with the Orkneys there is an alternative. In the above
itinerary, I could return to the mainland at Scabaster, and take the
train or bus down to Glasgow. How's the scenery on the train or bus?
If it's good, then I'd be inclined to this routing. Gives a chance to
overnight perhaps in Inverness.

I also came up with a revised itinerary that does the Orkneys first
(to avoid the St. Magnus festival). This does not give an extended
stay on the Faroes--I can't work out any combination that does Orkneys
first *and* has a week on the Faroes:

*Aberdeen Kirkwall Sun Jun 5?
*Scrabster Stromness Sun Jun 5?
Kirkwall Lerwick Thu/Fri Jun 9/10 or Sat/Sun Jun 11/12
Lerwick Torshavn Wed Jun 15
Torshavn Lerwick Mon Jun 20
Lerwick Aberdeen Wed/Thu Jun 22/23

This has the advantages:
-furthest north at summer solstice
-avoids St. Magnus festival
-gives 5 to 7 days in Orkneys

This has the disadvantages:
-only 4 days in Shetlands and Faroes

Again, all advice welcome! Northlink wrote me and said that their
sailings in June can sell out, so I need to start making arrangements
now.

Ed,

Re Norhlink ferry. There is a quiet lounge with recliners which was
quiet but busy (if you see what I mean) when we used it from Lerwick to
Kirkwall. Incidentally Kirkwall terminal is some way out of town now.

Re reliability. Shouldn't be too bad in June, but this is the North
Atlantic!

Re cycles. Faroes has tunnels which can cause problems. As others have
said Orkney and Shetland are big, especially Shetland which is long and
thin, but roads are quiet. Wind may be a problem, there is little
shelter.

Re local transport in Orkney/Shetland. This is sparse. Orkney ferries
are infrequent as are some of the Shetland ones. Check times, see links
available on this page:

http://homepage.mac.com/wasleys/nort...thisles01.html

Re sights. Depends on what turns you on (above link may help).

In Shetland Jarlshof is a must.

In Orkney Maes Howe is a must (but may need to book time). Rousay is
stuffed with a superb selection of ancient monuments, and here a cycle
may be very useful. They are quite close to each other along a road and
you can book a car to take you to the end so you can walk back. Also
Skara Brae but less so if you have done Jarlshof and are short of time,
though the reconstructed houses are fascinating. St Magnus Cathedral,
Churchill Barriers, Italian Chapel are also well worthwhile.

Michael

Ed,

Re Norhlink ferry. There is a quiet lounge with recliners which was
quiet but busy (if you see what I mean) when we used it from Lerwick to
Kirkwall. Incidentally Kirkwall terminal is some way out of town now.

Re reliability. Shouldn't be too bad in June, but this is the North
Atlantic!

Re cycles. Faroes has tunnels which can cause problems. As others have
said Orkney and Shetland are big, especially Shetland which is long and
thin, but roads are quiet. Wind may be a problem, there is little
shelter.

Re local transport in Orkney/Shetland. This is sparse. Orkney ferries
are infrequent as are some of the Shetland ones. Check times, see links
available on this page:

http://homepage.mac.com/wasleys/nort...thisles01.html

Re sights. Depends on what turns you on (above link may help).

In Shetland Jarlshof is a must.

In Orkney Maes Howe is a must (but may need to book time). Rousay is
stuffed with a superb selection of ancient monuments, and here a cycle
may be very useful. They are quite close to each other along a road and
you can book a car to take you to the end so you can walk back. Also
Skara Brae but less so if you have done Jarlshof and are short of time,
though the reconstructed houses are fascinating. St Magnus Cathedral,
Churchill Barriers, Italian Chapel are also well worthwhile.

Michael

Ed,

You may find Orkney (much of which is more like mainland Scotland)
scenically tame after Shetland which is very different, but Orkney has
more to 'do' than Shetland. Both may be tame after Faroes.

Don't know Faroes, but am planning a visit, and wonder if despite their
attraction you may find them a bit 'repetitive'.

Overland scenery in Scotland is interesting, but trains can get busy,

Michael