Shetland!!!

[Klanky]

Onto Yell, again the weather was crap - but I had to take a photie of this place, it really should have a sign up as the area (on the OS map) is called 'Poverty'

So then onto Unst for me Mum and dads hoose and bath/food/blether/beer/bed.

I was only up for a couple of days, so the next day showing a little more promise weatherwise, i went back on the ferr (free) from Unst to Yell to explore a promising looking track on the map.

The track peeled off the main road at Basta Voe and then continued for 4 miles through an empty landscape...not even a sheep was spotted....until it gets to Cullivoe on the North end of Yell.

Bloody great fun, it appears that this used to be an old main road which had fallen into disuse some years ago, it was obviously still used by 4x4's but nobody else.
The next view is looking North to Cullivoe and the Island of Unst. Note the completely overgrown 'Passing Place'

My boots had developed some serious leaks the day before, so i'd gaffa taped them up to avoid any water ingress...
Bloody waste of time, as I turned at the North end of the track and hammered back down it as fast as I dare with deep puddle water rocketing up the inside of my waterproof troosers and then topping up my boots. Excellent fun. And I didn't see a soul.


Bavck over to Unst (and the mist) for a couple of challenges. At Norwick Bay there is a section of road leading up to Skaw (most Northerly House in the UK) that is subsiding into the sea (off a cliff), the last time I was there it was passable on a motorbike....so it had to be done......like ****....

It's deteriorated somewhat since my last visit.....I'd parked my bike at the top (there's a bypass road up there) and walked down to suss out the conditions.....

I was crapping myself walking down there, such a strange feeling, like walking on thin ice. I kept well to the landward side and was ready to leg it straight up the hillside at the slightest noise... big jessie that I am.

So onwards (via the jessies route) to Lamba Ness and the site of a WW2 radar installation. Some of the big bunkers and the bases of the masts are still there but the weather closed in again before I got chance to snap more than one photie:

My main reason for the rideout in shite weather was to get my bike as far North in the UK as it is possible to go on a road or track.

Unfortunately, the most Northerly track is at Saxa Vord..an RAF EW station. I would have to dodge guns, dogs, thermal imaging gear, heat seeking suppositeries and the MOD Police.

The weather closed in that badly that I missed my turnoff for the 'most Northerly' track leading up to the mast cluster I needed to head for and ended up at the entrance to the main compound...

Grim......

So I backtracked and just managed to spot the gravel track off to one side ony to fine....bugger...a locked barrier.....

...which won't stop a GS if there's a 4 foot gap just to the side of the barrier...

About a mile and a half of rough gravel in zero viz...and there it was...the 'most Northerly' of all the 'most Northerly' things in the Blitish Isles...tadaaaaaaaah!:

That's it, you can't get any further North on road than that in the UK. Impressive eh?

So don't ever complain about John O'Groats being feckin' grim - you haven't lived until you've been up here in shite weather.
Pity really, as I was hoping to get some good photies of Muckle Flugga and Hermaness, but there y'go.


BTW, the base has closed down...so no military feathers were really that ruffled by my 'insurgency'.

 

[boatman]

nice wee ride report there klanky

must be sumthin rang wi me cos ance i start running the bike i just seem tae want tae keep going so im nae guid at this kind o thing
must try harder
must try harder
must try harder

 

[Schtum]

I haven't been to Unst since '75 but I loved it, especially the free and easy approach to most things. My friend's father's .22 sat in the kitchen propped up against the fireplace and at one point his son appeared in the garden with it an "blew oot a bonxie's puddins".

I was there without my bike as there was no RORO then but the Police Sergeant in Baltasound was happy to take me round the island on the pillion of his Triumph - both of us helmetless.

I suspect it's changed in the past 34 years but I can see a wee trip up there on the GS next year now that I've got friends in Scalloway.

 

[Tartan Terror]

Spent the first 5 years of my life on Unst as my father was based at Saxa. Pity the weather was so poor right enough as it is stunning in it's own unique way.

 

[ChubbyThumper]

Shetland

Thanks for that Klanky, I think Shetlands gonna havta be done. Is the collapsed road closed off or still open to the public?

 

[Klanky]

I haven't been to Unst since '75 but I loved it, especially the free and easy approach to most things. My friend's father's .22 sat in the kitchen propped up against the fireplace and at one point his son appeared in the garden with it an "blew oot a bonxie's puddins".

I was there without my bike as there was no RORO then but the Police Sergeant in Baltasound was happy to take me round the island on the pillion of his Triumph - both of us helmetless.

I suspect it's changed in the past 34 years but I can see a wee trip up there on the GS next year now that I've got friends in Scalloway.

I'd guess the people haven't changed much, Schtum. Everyone still waves at you - even thought they a haven't got as clue who you are. Saxa Vord is closed now, so the long-standing RAF community has gone, probably leaving it a quieter place than even back then. Baltasound airport is 'officially' closed. But light aircraft and the odd chopper put in an appearance.

There's about 40 fantastic houses all stood empty at Setters Hill - the RAF estate in Baltasound. They weren't built that long ago and the MOD appears to be only releasing one or two for sale or rent. If I was a bit more flush, i'd bite their arm off for one...

You can still drive a car on 'L' plates on Unst and Yell plus no MOT's makes for some interesting vehicles on the road...witness my brothers Vauxhall.

Spent the first 5 years of my life on Unst as my father was based at Saxa. Pity the weather was so poor right enough as it is stunning in it's own unique way.

It certainly is, there's a fair few RAF people who say Unst was one of the best places they served at. They were always welcome in the community and were responsible for a lot of initiatives and schemes getting off the ground.

Thanks for that Klanky, I think Shetlands gonna havta be done. Is the collapsed road closed off or still open to the public?

It's gated off at both ends, officially closed and bloody dangerous, but it's walkable. If you look at the photies you can see the headlight of my bike on one of them, it's only a couple of hundred meters long at most, but I don't know how long it will last.....

BTW, I forgot to mention that whilst stuffing my face with feesh and cheeps in Lerwick on the last day, I heard someone shout "Oi, Tosser!" and turned round to find a chap called Eco Warrior, a fellow Tosser, pulling up on his GS.

He's Welsh (never mind, eh?) and works on Shetland, I'm sure he'd be happy to meet up with anyone venturing up to Shetland if you PM him.

 

[capt geeze a five]

pity about the weather, that wee track to cullivoe looks great. like your panniers, are they from metal mule? cheers for posting your picys.

 

[Klanky]

pity about the weather, that wee track to cullivoe looks great. like your panniers, are they from metal mule? cheers for posting your picys.

Thanks, the panniers are Ard Case ones, by Roger (Redcap on here), look on the panniers thread in the 'Vendors of Innovations' section. He'll do any size and colour, he's quick and they're bloody good. Gets my recommend.