Unst 2011

Shetland Sea Kayak Meet, Unst, 12-14 August 2011

Information Sheet

Unst is the most northerly of the Shetland Islands; you can’t get any further north in Britain. As an island it offers paddling experiences for most abilities and weather conditions. If you don’t already own a copy of “The Northern Isles: Orkney and Shetland Sea Kayaking “ by Tom Smith and Chris Jex, it’s worth buying or borrowing one (we won’t suggest that you steal it) to see something of what’s available by way paddle trips in Unst, and indeed the rest of Shetland.

At Unst’s northern point is Hermaness, a National Nature Reserve whose cliffs are home to vast colonies of seabirds. Only the stacks of Muckle Flugga, with its famous lighthouse (built by Thomas Stevenson), and Out Stack lie beyond. If the conditions are fair it is possible to paddle out to Muckle Flugga under a sky filled with circling gannets, fulmars, puffins and guillemots, with piratical bonxies harassing them for an easy meal. A trip to the Flugga has been the highlight of several previous Unst weekends.

The north of Unst is characterized by exposed coastlines and strong tidal streams. The roosts (tide races) off Skaw and Lamba Ness are particularly notorious and conditions there can be challenging for small powered vessels, let alone kayaks, but for experienced paddlers and in the right conditions it is an experience not to be missed. For the less intrepid paddler, the southern and eastern sides of Unst offer a gentler coastline of mainly low, rocky shores with sheltered inlets and sandy bays and the occasional higher headland.

Strong tidal currents also run through the narrow channel of Bluemull Sound, between the west of Unst and the neighbouring island of Yell. These more sheltered waters are a good place to experience tidal paddling in relative safety, and with currents of up to 7 knots on a spring tide the sound can provide an exhilarating trip. Whales and dolphins regularly use the sound as a passage between the North Sea and the Atlantic so there’s always the possibility of an encounter with these wonderful creatures – two years ago one of our groups was able to paddle alongside a pod of Orcas and witnessed a seal being killed and eaten at very close quarters!

If the weather is not fit for paddling then Unst has many tourist attractions; walks, sea views, and wonderful sandy beaches on which to have a picnic. Naturalists may be interested in Hermaness and another National Nature Reserve at the Keen of Hamar, famous for its rare plants, including Edmondston’s chickweed, which grows nowhere else in the world. Historians are catered for by the Unst Heritage Centre and the Boat Haven in Haroldswick, which give a taste of the life of crofters and fishermen in past centuries. For the geologist there is a newly launched series of trails investigating the unusual earth heritage of Unst (don’t know what an ophiolite is? Come to Unst and find out.) And if you just want to potter and see the scenery, you’ll find many opportunities for walks and diverse landscapes and views to enjoy.

Visitors from the south – How to Get There

We suggest that visitors from south (i.e. elsewhere in Britain) catch the Northlink ferry from Aberdeen on Thursday 11^th August, arriving in Lerwick at 7.30 a.m. on the Friday. For details and bookings, phone Northlink on 0845 6000 449 or see their website http://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/timetables.html.

If you are bringing a car, the route to Unst is northwards to Toft, in the north of the Mainland (Shetland’s main island), which will take about 45 minutes. From here a 20 minute inter-island ferry crossing takes you to the next island – Yell. The drive across Yell can be done in 25 minutes on the main road, but it’s best to allow half an hour to allow for the Yell sheep – they’re notorious for walking out in front of speeding cars. If you’re not in a hurry, the winding, single-track road around the south and east of Yell provides a scenic alternative. There’s a café at the Gutcher ferry terminal if you need refreshment or have time to kill before the next short ferry crossing to Unst. The Unst ferry terminal at Belmont is about 4km (2½ miles) by road or sea from Uyeasound where we will be based.

The ferry timetable can be found at http://www.shetland.gov.uk/ferries/timetable.asp (Warning: you may struggle to make sense of it – this is normal and in no way reflects on your mental abilities. It seems to have been written by Vogons). During busy times of the year it’s a good idea to book your ferries by calling the Yell & Unst booking office on 01595 745804 between 08.30 and 16.45. The friendly and helpful staff there will also correct any misinterpretation of the timetable. The ferry to Yell currently costs £9.60 for a car and driver, £4.10 for an adult and 50p for a child up to 18. These are all return fares. OAPs go free. The ferry from Yell to Unst is also free! (as are the Ferries to the neighbouring island of Fetlar).

If you don’t have your own transport, we may be able to arrange a lift for you – please let us know on the booking form. Failing that, there are two buses a day to Unst and back. You can find the bus timetables at http://www.zettrans.org.uk/bus/NorthIsles.asp. The buses make several stops in Lerwick that are not detailed on the timetable – the early bus stops at the Shetland Hotel, just across the road from the Northlink ferry terminal, a little after 8am to pick up folk from the “north boat”.

If you don’t want to bring your own kayak etc, temporary membership (£18 for the week) entitles you to use Shetland Canoe Club equipment, provided it is not required by full members. Again see the booking form.

There are shops on Unst and Yell, which sell the basic essentials, so long as you are not too fussy. If in doubt stock up in Lerwick before you head north. The Co-op is conveniently close to the Northlink terminal, opens at 8 a.m. and has a café where you can get breakfast at half the price that you’d pay on the ferry (and to be scrupulously fair we should also say that Tesco is only half a mile beyond, but doesn’t do breakfast)

Accommodation

We will be based at Gardiesfauld, Uyeasound: a very well equipped Youth Hostel with camping grounds. You’ll find details on the web at www.gardiesfauld.shetland.co.uk. We have block-booked the hostel, but numbers are limited so please let us know if you require a shared small room or a bed in the dormitory. Please note that we will not have exclusive use of the hostel as it is just the bedrooms in the hostel that have been booked. We’ll let you know asap whether there is space available so you can make alternative arrangements if necessary. If you get to Unst by early afternoon you’ll have time to get on the water for a shakedown paddle around the island of Uyea – that’s the island right in front of you as you stand on the beach below the hostel (the not very imaginative name means “Island” in Old Norse and is pronounced “yooi”). You can always unpack on your return.

Catering

The SCC committee will be providing evening meals at a reasonable cost (numbers limited) – diners are expected to pitch in with the clearing up and dishes. The plan is for a fish fry up on Friday, Indian on Saturday (with vegetarian and non-spicy options) and a general mess on Sunday. If you wish to self cater that is no problem…you can join us later for the party. Meals will be in the Uyeasound public hall, which is 5 minutes walk from Gardiesfauld, after which will be general socializing and hopefully a slide show or two. If you have musical instruments to play or photos you would like to show, please bring them along.

Bookings

You’ll find the booking form for Unst 2011 on the Shetland Canoe Club website at http://www.shetlandcanoeclub.co.uk/

Enquiries to:

Jonathan Swale tel: 01595 820288 or 0777 4066057

or email: unst<at>Shetland canoeclub.co.uk

(substitute @ for <at> – it’s just written that way to stop fishing programs from recognizing it as an email address)

Booking Form 2011 info – Unst2011Form draft2

Last Years Trip

Please read the article below to see what we got up to last year

Kayaking in Unst 2010

Ever fancied paddling in Shetland? Shetland Canoe Club is organising a trip to Unst. The event takes place on 9 – 12th July 2010. Weather permitting you will have the opportunity to paddle to Muckle Flugga and Out Stack, the furthest north you can get in Britain. There’s amazing caves and arches to be explored, abundant wildlife and in 2008 one group paddled with a pod of killer whales and observed them close up during a feeding frenzy.

Unst is an informal meet with no rigid plans. Group leaders decide on the venue for the trips according to weather, splitting into groups depending on experience or you can do your own thing, it’s up to you!

Should the weather be unsuitable for paddling… all is not lost! Unst is brilliant for hiking etc. The nature reserve of Hermaness with its bustling gannet colonies and thousands of puffins and other birds is a definite must, whether seen from the land or sea!

It’s great social occasion too. You can camp, hostel, self cater or join the party with food provided …all at very reasonable rates…there is even a traditional Shetland dance for those who still have the energy! Hopefully we can team up with the Unst regatta as a good evenings dancing can be just the thing to ease those aching muscles.

http://nwsk2007.blogspot.com/2008/10/kayaking-with-killer-whales-at-60north.html

Shetland Sea Kayak Meet, Northern Isles, 9-12 July 2010

Northern Isles

Unst is the most northerly inhabited island of the Shetland Islands and you cannot get any further north in the British Isles. Only the stacks of Muckle Flugga, with its famous lighthouse built by Thomas Stevenson and the rocks of Out Stacks lie a little further north. If the weather is kind to you it is possible to paddle out to Muckle Flugga and members of the club were lucky to do this four years ago, two years ago and again last August. Two years ago one of our groups had the good fortune to be paddling with a pod of Orcas and witnessed a feeding frenzy at very close quarters! Much of Unst is a summer home to large colonies of breeding birds and on all of your paddle trips the skies will be full of Gannets, Fulmars, Skua’s, forever after an easy meal, Puffins, Guillemots, Kittiwakes and Terns. Bluemull Sound separates Unst from Yell and this is where you can experience some of Shetland’s strongest tides, 7 knots at springs and if you are lucky pods of killer whales. If the weather is unkind Unst has many tourist attractions, plenty of walks, sea views, and wonderful sandy beaches on which to have a picnic. If you are the proud holder of Tom and Chris’s book ‘The Northern Isles’ this will give you an insight to some of the paddle trips you can experience in Unst, and indeed the rest of Shetland, with sound advice on the tides, entry and exit points. The trip along the west coast of Unst to the north can be a long one when you consider there is possibly only one stop off point for lunch. The views are worth it. As is with all things planned if the weather is not kind to us there are several excellent walks to go on. Hermaness, a natural Nature reserve, is worth a walk not only for the teeming birdlife and wonderful scenery but you get to look at Muckle Flugga lighthouse if you are unable to paddle out to it. Further down the west side is a nice walk from Wood wick out to the bay. The amount of wood and other beach combing goodies that arrive on this beach just shows you the power of the seas. The Keen of Hamar is another very interesting walk and the soil here is amongst the oldest and poorest in Britain. You will find an amazing landscape and flowers and it is a must to pick up the guide notes and follow the code. In Baltasound there is the Unst Boat Haven which is dedicated to the history of the boats used in the islands until the early 20th century and nearby is the Unst Heritage Centre which expands on the islands struggle for existence during these times. Come up and see it all for yourself.

We are hosting our 2010 Shetland Sea Kayaking Symposium from 02-05 July which is the week before the Unst trip and if you do not already have the information please visit our website www.shetlandcanoeclub.co.uk. Weather permitting we will be arranging some paddling trips in Shetland for the week in between the Symposium and Unst meet. Hopefully including a paddle to Papa Stour where you can find some of the best sea caves in Europe!

Visitors from the south – How to Get There

We suggest that visitors from south (i.e. elsewhere in Britain) who are attending the Unst meet catch the Northlink ferry from Aberdeen on Thursday 8th July arriving in Lerwick at 7.30 a.m. on the Friday. For details and bookings, phone Northlink on 0845 6000 449. Once on the mainland you will have to drive up to Toft, along the A968, which is at the top of the mainland and from Lerwick will take about an hour, and catch your second ferry to Yell, a crossing of about 20 minutes. You will then need to make your way up the island along the same road from Ulsta to Gutcher which will take about 30 minutes. There is a café here whilst you wait for your third ferry of the day from Gutcher to Belmont, a shorter crossing of 10 minutes or so. From Belmont to the hostel is only about 10 mins drive. During busy times of the year it is wise to book your ferries, which are run by the Shetland Islands Council, by ringing:

Yell & Unst booking office 01957 722259 opening hours 08.30 – 16.45

All trips from Yell to Unst are free. You can take a trailer and should ring the booking office to check costs, timetables and availability or to find current fares and timetables visit the following link and look in the section for Ferries: .www.shetland.gov.uk

If you don’t have your own transport and need a lift to Unst please specify on the booking form.

There are shops on Unst and Yell which sell most things if you are not fussy. If in doubt stock up in Lerwick at the supermarket. The Co-op is conveniently close to the Northlink terminal and opens at 8 a.m. (and to be scrupulously fair I should also say that Tesco is only half a mile beyond)

We are now taking bookings for Unst. If you are making your own way up then please let us know for the numbers as they are limited. Beth is your contact here and all information is on the booking form.

If you don’t want to bring your own kayak etc, temporary membership (£18 for the week) entitles you to use Shetland Canoe Club equipment, provided it is not required by full members. Again see the booking form.

Accommodation

We base ourselves at Gardiesfauld, at Uyeasound. This is a Youth Hostel with camping grounds and if you visit the web site www.gardiesfauld.shetland.co.uk this will give you all the details. The facilities are very good here with plenty of showers etc and the cooking facilities are excellent. If your timings are good you can be on the water and have a shakedown paddle around Uyea Island straight off the beach at the rear of the hostel. You can always unpack on your return. Plenty of otters can be seen around the island and there is a nice beach to rest up and explore the island before heading back to Gardiesfauld.

Catering

The SCC committee provide meals in the evening at a reasonable cost (numbers limited) and paddlers pitch in with the clearing up and dishes. See registration form. However if you wish to self cater that is no problem…you can join us later for the party. We have reserved the Uyeasound public hall which is 5 minutes walk from Gardiesfauld for the evening meals on Friday and Sunday followed by a social evening and hopefully a slide show. On Saturday there is a BBQ at Gardiesfauld and the option to go to the hall for the Uyeasound Regatta Dance. Everybody welcome!

Bookings

We have arranged a block booking for the hostel so please let us know if you are coming as numbers are limited.

Enquiries to:

Beth Cummings 01595 880769 or 07887580995 or email: beth_cummings@hotmail.com