SHETLAND & FAIR ISLE

As we crossed the 24-mile stretch of water known as The Hole, the horizon started to blur and the outline of Fair Isle ahead of us faded. We motored on as our companion yacht, Reach North, a mile behind, became indistinct for the first time since leaving the Shetland Isles. Patchy fog had been a possibility on the forecast; that possibility had become fact. We eagerly watched the radar as Fair Isle’s large echo drew nearer on the screen. Even though we knew it was there, we were still awed when the curtain of mist drew back and the cliffs under North Lighthouse’s white tower appeared. As the fog dissipated the steep slope of Sheep Rock solidified into view, guiding us to the transit into Fair Isle’s main harbour. Quite quickly the rest of the island appeared as the haze lifted, and we all breathed a sigh of relief as we tied the Elan 434 Impression, Catherine J, up to the harbour wall.

Shetland and Fair Isle seem more related to Scandinavia than Scotland; indeed, at 183 miles away, the nearest large town to Lerwick is not Inverness but Bergen. Most of the place