Shetland

After a wonderful local fish and beer stop at Helgi's in Kirkwall I headed off for the overnight ferry to Shetland. Luckily I had allowed enough time, ie refused the final beer, to find the right pier which was further out of town than I expected or was it just the beer legs and the head wind.
I don't think they wanted us cyclists to leave and kept us waiting on the pier in the freezing wind for over half an hour, at least I saw it get almost dark.
I hadn't booked a berth or seat but managed a few hours sleep in the bar along with a number of motorbikers on their way to to a simmer dim get together.
It was drizzly on arrival but cleared after breakfast.
I managed to visit my first broch, iron age settlement, amazingly well preserved and battled my way around the headland, Orkney was a breeze compared to this.  I was just popping into Tesco for supplies when I looked over to the bay to see more than a dozen seals basking on the rocks, now why doesn't the royston branch have such diverting attractions?
It seems that accommodation is scarce here due to the influx of oil workers. So I shall probably not stay to 21st as hoped but will still aim to get to the top any way.
I asked at the hostel about music gigs given it was Friday night, to be told, oh no Friday and Saturday nights are for getting drunk, no one worries about music.
I went with Eleanor to enjoy the clear evening and see what was going on in town.  I saw a couple of folk carrying guitars and so followed them in to a bar and sure enough there was drinking, no one just has a pint they also have one chaser for a half or two for the full pint.  That's only the women!  I was greeted like a long lost friend along with Eleanor and enjoyed a very pleasant evening of blue grass music, again people just turned up with a guitar or a fiddle played or sang a tune on went on, not sure if they were strolling minstrals going from bar to bar, however they were playing in aid of Rnli.  The man who was loosely organising it looked well into his 80s and moved like it, except when he played when he was as sprightly as the youngsters there. I eventually left, again in the almost dark, with no lights to meet a couple of policemen, the first I've seen in a while, so I duly got off and pushed, it was a steep hill anyway.  I am guessing it was going to get a bit more raucous before the night was done.