Another day I didn’t quite have a plan. It was a beautiful morning and the wind had dropped. I had booked two nights camping, so whatever I did, I could do it unloaded. The washing machine was free so I decided to use the last of my washing powder to make sure I’d have some clean clothes to wear on my way home. While the wash was on, I had porridge and coffee. I used the tumble drier for a few minutes, but the weather was so nice I didn’t want to wait for it, plus there was a perfectly good fence by my tent.

I heard there was a shop in this tiny village, so this was my first quest. I needed both cycling food, and s meal for this evening. Fig rolls and a bar of chocolate, sorted the former, and a chicken madras frozen microwave meal sorted the evening. I have other stuff to fill in. I found out where the “once a week pub” was tonight, and had a general chat with the owner, he was from Yorkshire and bought the shop in the 90s after leaving the army. He’s still renovating the building.

I’d passed the Old Haa Museum on the way to the shop, and popped in on my way back. It is in a traditional house with three rooms. One for a ship, the Bohus,  that was wrecked off the coast. I particularly liked a picture of a man with a bottle of salvaged whiskey, together with a bottle. The implications was it was the same bottle but I somehow doubt it.

The second room was for a Catalina flying boat that crashed on the hillside, during the search for the german battleship Tirpitz. After HMS Hood had been sunk in Scarpa Flow, a number of Catalinas were searching  the whole of the North Sea, right up to the Arctic. This particular one crashed while trying to land at Sullom Voe. I had cycled past a sign to the monument yesterday without knowing what it was. An interesting fact, the Catalina flying boats had such a range, Quantas used to use them between Perth (Australia) and Singapore during the war, the longest direct flight 3,600 miles taking 28 hours. The third room had stuffed otters, an impressive  whale jaw, and lots of shells. There was also a tea room, which I didn’t use, as I really did need to get moving.

I eventually headed off cycling. I had three plans. A minimum ride of a circuit around Yell, with Option a, extending up to the Unst Ferry. I could just look at Unst, or maybe cross there, and back. Then with a further Option b, of cycling on Unst, maybe to the famous Bobby’s Bus Stop. You can continue further, even to Muckle Flugga lighthouse, but that would be on foot. I’ve already seen the lighthouse from the Denmark to Iceland ferry, so had no interest in seeing it from the land (that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it). The Belgians last night said there was a small sign saying “This is the end of the 1 bicycle route”. Concensus was that this now ends in John O’Groats. The route 1 North Sea Route is a left over from when the Iceland ferry stopped at Lerwick. If I was going to stop anywhere, it was going to be the bus shelter.

I first retraced my route south to the ferry, so that I could head up the west side of Yell. The roads were deserted and the wind was not a problem (I believe it was a westerly, not a northerly like yesterday). I got to the point where I could complete the loop, and after a few fig rolls, felt good. So I headed to the Unst Ferry.

When I got there, there was an Italian cyclist in the waiting room. He had flown to Aberdeen, got the ferry to Lerwick and heading as far north as possible before cycling back to Italy. I gave him a few tips on the Stone Circles on Orkney, as he seemed very keen to see Stonehenge.

We crossed on the ferry, and on the otherside, I decided to lead first. Mainly on the basis that I was unloaded, and I had been cycling slowly/stopping all morning and he hadn’t passed me. Anyway, I must of acted as a bit of a hare, as he kept up with me pretty well. He turned into a campsite just before the Bus Stop.

Bobby’s Bus Stop is a bit of a legend. It is always decorated differently. This year it had a bee theme. It was nice just sitting down in it. I think the carpet brings a whole new level to Bus Stop comfort – and I’m an expert!

Heading back to the ferry, I bumped into Billy from yesterday heading north, I think he was planning on a 100 mile ride. When I got to the ferry, it was going to Fetlar rather than Yell. A few ferries a day take a longer route. It was going to Yell afterwards, so I was able to jump on. It was such a sunny afternoon and almost an hour boat journey to enjoy it.

I stepped off the boat at Fetlar, so maybe I’ll claim another island. Eventually, we got back to Yell, and I retraced my route back to the split point. It was good getting off the main road, on a quite hilly but dramatic cycle down the east side of Yell back to my tent at Burravoe.

My dinner was a microwaved chicken curry, followed by a tin of rice. I never did get to the “once a week pub” it was just a bit to far, and too many hills. I think I had been exceptionally lucky to see Unst in such beautiful sunshine (I’m typing this from a rain drenched tent – today is going to be a different story!). I understand storm Floris is due just in time for my final (and longest) ferry – I better start planning!

Total Dist Cycled 903 km, (561 miles) 11 Ferries, 1 Train