 Hellister on a Frosty Morning |
Scalloway lies at the heart of an area sometimes referred to as Central Mainland. Part of Central Mainland lies to the south of Scalloway: where you find two remarkable lines of islands, parallel to one another and to the coast of South Mainland. They were connected by a series of three bridges in 1971 and it is now possible to reach all of the main islands by road.
Most people coming this way will follow the "B" road west over the Burra Bridge to the pretty fishing village of Hamnavoe. Heading south instead takes you along West Burra to Bridge End and the bridge to East Burra.
South of Bridge end is Papil, where the ruined St Laurence Kirk was the original home of three early Christian carved stones. Nearby Duncansclett is home to a cottage with a thatched chimney. The main settlement on East Burra is Houss, beyond which a track leads to Houss Ness, across an ayre that prevents it from becoming a separate island.
North of Scalloway, separate "A" and "B" roads lead north to Tingwall either side of the Hill of Steinswall, home to three large wind generators that are visible from most parts of the Central Mainland.
The "B" road running most directly north from Scalloway runs alongside the Loch of Tingwall. The islet at the north end of the loch is known as the Lawting and was the site of the Parliament of Orkney and Shetland from Norse times. It is connected to the north shore of the loch by a boggy causeway. On the opposite side of the road is Tingwall Kirk.
From Tingwall the A971 heads west past Tingwall Airport to Haggersta and Hellister. These are both on the east shore of Weisdale Voe, which bites sharply into Mainland from the south-west. As the main road goes around the head of Weisdale Voe it begins to climb the Hill of Sound, which has some magnificent views south across a jumble of islands and sea.
A short distance north of the junction at the head of Weisdale Voe is Weisdale Mill, complete with an art gallery and a cafe. A little further north still is the farm of Kergord, famous primarily for being the home of the largest stand of trees in Shetland.
