Mavis Grind, Mainland Shetland

The final few hours on Yell and Shetland didn’t disappoint. We left the Airbnb at 10.00am to catch the 11.45 ferry from Ulsta on Yell to Tofts on the Mainland stopping at Aywick shop on the way.

We’d only learned about the shop in Aywick yesterday on the Yell website page which made much of its diverse and extensive range of stock. The website was right, it is a veritable emporium, selling anything and everything you might want. It is the IKEA of Yell!

Prices were as good as anywhere. Diesel was £1.34 a litre, 5p cheaper than Lerwick when we passed this afternoon. We bought lots of stuff we didn’t know we wanted including a parcel tape dispenser, some athletes foot cream, a plastic spatula, birthday card, Yell bakery fruit loaf and oatcakes!

The next destination was Brae on the mainland to visit Frankie’s for Scotland’s most northerly fish and chips. They were the best!

From there it was to Mavis Grind, a location where the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea are only 90 metres apart. And another geology wall. A quick stop followed to watch mussels being harvested then on to Lerwick for the ferry.

On the return trip, apparently like the outbound journey, we call at Kirkwall in the Orkneys at 11.00pm arriving in Aberdeen at 7.00am tomorrow. The Shipping Forecast promises slight to moderate seas early in the voyage with gales later leading to rough seas early morning by which time we should be in the shelter of mainland Scotland.

It’s been a wonderful trip and I’m so delighted many of you have enjoyed the journey with us.