Shetland Islands Scotland - surprising tourist attractions.

In 1468, King Christian I of Denmark, Norway and Sweden pawned the Orkney Isles to Scottish King James III in lieu of a royal dowry for 50,000 florins. And the Shetlands were then pawned for more money.

 Muckle Flugga Lighthouse  

photo from Northern Lighthouse Board

When considering tourist attractions in the Scottish islands in mod­ern times, there are beautiful places to visit. But an old bus sh­el­ter on a remote northern island with few passing buses is unlikely to appeal. Yet it attracts many vis­itors to Unst in North Shetlands.

With some of the harshest and most change­able wea­th­er in the Brit­ish Isles, a decent structure was needed to protect school students. 6-year-old Bobby McCauley (b1989) and his friends caught the bus there but the she­l­ter was becoming a broken hut with a rusting iron chair.

The local council planned to remove the shelter, until Bobby wrote a letter to the local new­s­paper, The Shetland Times, ask­ing for a new waiting area. His letter explain­ed that the shelter is where he kept his bike while at school. He was growing tired of the often long, cold and wet waits each morning. The newspaper, touched by the six-year old’s feelings, petitioned the Council for a new shelter. Bobby DID get his way and a shiny, new shelter was soon in­stalled.

 Children can  enjoy the toys and tv

The humble old bus shelter became a warm and welcoming place. Items began mysteriously appearing inside, st­arting with a small wick­er table, couch, microwave, carpet, desk, telephone, some art, an old tv, library and curtains. This Shetland Islands bus shelter may have been small, but it squeezed in a lot. And it had its very own visitors' book for those seeking time to think about the Shetlands.

Then his mum became involved and started putting in additions eg cushions and a hot snack dis­penser. Eventually a specialist maint­en­ance team became involved each year, helping the bus shelter bec­ame one of the island’s main tourist attractions.

 Adults enjoy the tv, library, nibbles and flowers

and the views

The shelter even gets redecorated each year to match a new theme. Since 2002 some of the imaginative themes have included life un­d­er­water, sheep, women’s suffrage, outer space, Van Gogh, Tall Ships and the Queen’s Jub­­il­ee. And when Bobby went to study in Swaziland, the shelter was converted into an African theme, to honour the lad.

The bus stop may have also acted as an unmanned store. There were different objects for purchase such as sunglasses and jewellery. An honesty box was left where vis­itors could leave payments.

On an island which sees just six hours of winter sunlight, Bobby’s Bus Stop provides a sparkly intermission from the dark­ness. And there’s a Christmas tree every year. The guest book suggests the bus stop is certainly very popular.

Bobby, now in his 30s, has long since left and is studying for his PhD in Glasgow, but the legacy of his Bus Shelter continues, with entrants in the visitors’ book from across the globe. Nobody could have predicted how popul­ar it would become. There are many photos showing visit­ors en­joying the experience eg in the Facebook page 

What else is there to visit? Shetland has excellent internal links operated by the Shetland Isl­ands Council, including a fleet of inter-island ferries that run to half the inhabited islands. Frequent ferries go to Yell and Unst.

The Isle of Unst has only 650 residents, but tourists venture far out into the North Sea to visit this beautiful, remote outpost. Rem­ote and moody, Unst is a flat expanse of gr­eys, greens and rocky outcrops; Scotland’s last port of call bef­ore diving off into the Norwegian Sea’s icy waters. Walk over ancient rocks that once formed the ocean floor. Visit Unst Her­itage Cen­t­re and Un­st Boat Haven to investigate Shet­land’s lace knitting and fishing heritage.

Explore the Hermaness Nat­ional Nature Reserve, a place of global im­portance for wildlife; with its towering cliffs and ext­ensive moor­land, it is home to a rich variety of birds and plants. Then hike to the northerly, historic Muckle Flugga Lighthouse. Visit the repl­ica Vik­ing long­ship, Skidbladner, and reconstructed­ Viking long­house at Harolds­wick, some of Shetland’s Norse roots. The north­erly beaches, Norwick, the Eastings and Skaw, are very picturesque. There are var­ious Up Helly Aas, the famous fire festivals, around Shetland betw­een Jan-March to celebrate Viking heritage and community spirit.

The repl­ica Viking long­ship, 

Shetland.org     

Roam the grounds of Muness Castle, a remarkably fine tower house of the late 1500s. This example of tower house architecture is full of delightful touches, divided between the family, servants and visit­ors. It was built for Laurence Bruce of Cultmalindie, a prominent, turbulent figure accused of oppressing the Shetland people. Finally enj­oy Victoria’s Vintage Tea­rooms with its fine array of cakes!

Many thanks to Laurie Goodlad 

Muness Castle, 

Historic Environment Scotland