Sail North Scotland visitor comment
“Shetland has proved to be our ideal cruising ground. We have loved its variety, beauty and generosity but, after three seasons sailing its shores, we feel we have only just scratched the surface.
We were tempted northwards by a chance meeting on the Sail Scotland stand at The London Boat Show three years ago. ‘Malouine’ arrived in Shetland by way of Cape Wrath, Orkney and Fair Isle, after spending five years on the west coast of Scotland. Despite Shetland’s accessibility, few British yachts are found amongst the Norwegians, Dutch and French visitors.
Since arriving, we have cruised extensively amongst the Shetland Islands, finding solitary anchorages amidst stunning scenery which bustled with bird life. West coast beaches have kept our children entertained and the caves on Papa Stour are one of our favourite destinations.
Shetland has also proved an ideal starting point for cruising to Norway. The combination of accurate weather forecasting, manageable passage length and ease of arrival has made this a viable family destination. Once there, the islands provide interesting and sheltered cruising.
Above all Shetland has been characterised by the warmth of the welcome we have received. In this our experience is far from unique as competitors in the Round Britain and Ireland Race would testify.
Anne & Andrew Fleck - September 2010
Yacht ‘Malouine’ (Prior 37, designed by Alan Buchanan and built in 1963)
Anne & Andrew Fleck, Yacht 'Malouine'
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- Sailing destinations around the North Coast of Scotland
- Inverness Marina
- Wick Marina
- Orkney Marina
- Shetland Marina
“We had a memorable trip all the way from Kent to Orkney but our VHF had given poor reception all the way. On arrival in the beautiful Stromness Marina the local radio man Stuart Walker confirmed we had “aerial problems” up the mast and went for spares.
Contemplating how we were going to deal with our aerial problem, we went off to collect bicycles from the Orkney Cycle Hire man, John Heddle, who happened to be up a ladder repainting his third floor windows.
I asked “You don’t fancy going up a mast do you?”
His response surprised and delighted me! “Well, if you can’t find anyone else I’ll give it a try and tick it off my ‘must do’ list”. ” Read full comment...
Sue and Richard Jones, Stromness Marina Visitors
