Apart from Shetland Mainland, the smaller Shetland Islands offer some superb backpacking too. The best of the wild country here lies on the islands of Yell, Unst, Fetlar and Foula, on rugged coasts and rough moorland, and there is certainly plenty of that. Of these perhaps only Yell and Unst offer enough scope to make the long journey here worthwhile. Yell lies in the northeast corner of the Shetland Islands group, just offshore from Mainland, with the islands of Fetlar to the east and Unst to the north.
A coastal backpack on Yell in summer can be as good as you’ll find anywhere in Britain. There’s a lot of wildlife all around, with perhaps a better chance of seeing wild otters than you’ll find anywhere else.
This walk takes you around the south and eastern coasts of the island. It starts along a quiet lane before heading for the highest point, on Ward of Arisdale, then goes eastwards to the coast at Otterswick. The route then follows the coast closely around to Mid Yell and onwards to Gutcher.
Quite a tough walk considering that the high point of the route is just 210m above sea level. It starts out by taking to the very rough moorland on Ward of Arisdale, then heads eastwards to the coast (this is all pathless terrain, and map and compass skills are essential across the moorland). From Otterswick the going is a little easier, taking you around some fantastic coastal scenery to Mid Yell. The route onwards is straightforward, and involves a little road walking to get around big coastal estuaries, but the views throughout are spectacular, and you are not likely to see any other walkers during the entire trek.
It may be possible to get permission to camp at Mid Yell if you ask around at the farms nearby.
On Yell there are shops at the Ulsta ferry terminal, and at Mid Yell. The Wind Dog Cafe at Gutcher is popular too.
Tourist Information
There is an excellent tourist information centre at the market cross in Lerwick, tel 01595 693434, website www.visitshetland.com.
Transport
You can get to the capital of the Shetland Islands, Lerwick, by either air or ferry.
Air For flights contact British Airways and their franchise partners Logan Air on 0845 7733377 – they make use of the main airport on Shetland at Sumburgh, 40km south of Lerwick, website www.loganair.co.uk.
Ferry North Link Ferries operate to Lerwick from Aberdeen or Stromness (Orkney), tel 0845 6000 449, website www.northlinkferries.co.uk.
Getting Around
Buses There is a daily bus service to Toft from Lerwick, contact White Coaches on 01595 809443.
Ferry The roll-on roll-off ferries from Toft to Ulsta run regularly throughout the day, www.shetland.gov.uk/ferryinfo/.
Car Hire Try either Bolts Car Hire on 01595 693636, or Star Rent-a-Car on 01595 692075. Both have offices in Lerwick and at Sumburgh Airport.
Accommodation and Supplies
Lerwick For accommodation in Lerwick try the Glen Orchy Guest House on 01595 692031, website www.guesthouselerwick.com, or the Alder Lodge Guest House on 01595 695705. The youth hostel is a cheaper option and you can contact them direct on 01595 692114 (open April to September). There are plenty of shops, bars and restaurants in Lerwick.
Heading North For a very comfortable hotel on the road northwards to Yell, try Busta House. Joe and Veronica Rocks are very welcoming, and the food is excellent – plus this is a good opportunity for some local Valhalla Brewery beer! Busta House is at Busta, near Brae, and you can make a reservation on 01806 522506. E-mail [email protected], website www.bustahouse.com.
Yell In the south of Yell there is a bed and breakfast at Hillhead, Hamnavoe, tel Rita Leask on 01957 722274, while at Mid Yell you should get in touch with Catherine Gibb at Altna-Craig on 01957 702162. At Gutcher I would recommend staying with the Tullochs at the post office, tel Margaret Tulloch on 01957 744201.
Escape Routes
At any point during the walk the quickest return route to civilisation is to make for the B9081, which runs between the villages on the east side of the island.
Day 1
As the ferry slowly pushes its way over the Yell Sound from Toft, keep an eye out for porpoises and whales from the deck. You don’t get very long though – within half an hour the ferry will have deposited you on the pier at Ulsta, and you’re ready for the walk out to the east coast. (Before setting off you could pop into Robertson’s shop at Ulsta to have a word about being picked up from Gutcher at the end of the walk.)
Head out along the main road then turn right along the B9081 after just a couple of hundred metres. This road climbs gently up to the Hill of Ulsta where the Loch of Ulsta lies to the left.
You’ll probably see nesting arctic terns here if you visit during the summer months – the moor has a healthy population, as well as a few bonxies (skuas), and wading birds such as golden plover and dunlin.
Watch gannets from the Yell ferry
Continue along the road down to a bridge over the Burn of Arisdale. Just over the bridge a track leaves the road on the left and you should follow this up the wide, rough dale to the farm at Arisdale. Up the valley here you’ll pass the Catalina memorial, commemorating the crew lost in an air crash during the Second World War.
From Arisdale a steep climb up to the northeast leads onto the broad ridge of Hill of Arisdale. Climb up through heather and moorland grasses to the summit at 210m.
The views from the Hill of Arisdale are spectacular. To the east you can see the hills of Fetlar rising out of the sea, while the rocky lumps to the southeast are the Out Skerries. Westwards the bald plateau of Ronas Hill forms a bare knoll rising over the surrounding moorland. Ronas Hill is the highest point on Shetland.
Continue northeastwards along the ridge to the Ordnance Survey trig pillar at Ward of Otterswick, at 205m. A little to the north lies a large cairn – walk on to this, then descend eastwards to the B9081 near a little chapel.
The White Wife at Otters Wick
Turn left along the road then right at a junction, passing what is marked on the map as a pub, although it doesn’t look anything like it when you get there. Turn right again to Midgarth and