TOUCH DOWN
I arrived on Sunday 7th March after a gruelling 12 hour journey that started at 4am in the hubbub of Gatwick airport. The Glasgow-Shetland flight in a twin propeller plane afforded several incredible vistas when the clouds parted, including a unimpeded view of a cluster of low-lying islands, peninsulas, voes, cliffs and stacks that scattered as we descended into their midst; the runway a tiny strip of tarmac which stretches right to the water’s edge, engulfed by the winter green landscape and the ceaseless pounding of the north sea waves.
I jumped into my hire car and sped off to my lodgings. Well, it was worth the pain of the journey. I am staying in Gletness on the South Nesting peninsula in the cutest chalet with stupendous views overlooking the south and north voes of Gletness and the south and north islands of Gletness – not the most varied of names, however having scrutinsed my map of the area, I was delighted to find that the southerly part of the North Isle of Gletness (which is, by the way, about 200m across) is called “Aiplin”, let’s say a Shetland namesake, why not!
