FISHING
Freshwater angling is a tradition in Shetland, with over 350 trout fishing lochs. Charges are minimal by mainland standards and the lochs are close together, allowing you to fish a dozen of them in a single day. As well as brown and rainbow trout, there’s a chance to catch the rare and delicious arctic char, which has lurked in some of the deeper lochs since the last glaciation.
Visiting fly fishermen are usually astonished at the quality of sport they find in the islands. The sea angling is just as good.
Most of Shetland’s long and winding coastline is covered by traditional inshore fishing marks, or ‘meiðs’. Each meið has been handed down from generation to generation and has unique bearings, where points of the shore are lined up to give a position just as accurate as GPS.
The commonest species are saithe (sillocks and piltocks in dialect, depending on size), pollack and mackerel, with haddock, ling and cod and the chance of skate, halibut or even porbeagle shark.
There are a few commercial sea-angling boats in Shetland and local ‘eela’ enthusiasts will often take visitors along for a day’s fishing in return for a contribution to the fuel costs and some help with the gutting (which can be a long job after a successful trip). Many districts hold fishing competitions, where visitors are usually welcome.
KAYAKING
More and more sea kayak enthusiasts are discovering Shetland’s 1600 miles of beaches, rocky coves, sea stacks and magnificent sea cliffs.
Of particular interest are the caves. No-one knows exactly how many there are but they include some of the finest sea caves in Europe. One of the best and most accessible is the Orkneyman’s Cave, just three miles from Lerwick.
Whether you’re an expert or an absolute beginner, you’ll find a kayak is the ideal way to explore this extraordinary coastline and get really close to the seals and seabirds. Because of the shape of the shoreline there’s nearly always somewhere sheltered to paddle.
Local kayak enthusiasts offer visitor membership of the Shetland Canoe Club which organises introductory sessions. There’s also a professional kayak guide who runs tours.
SAILING
Shetland has some of the best yacht cruising grounds in Europe but with only about 500 visiting yachts each year you can be sure of having it almost to yourself – with just a million summer seabirds and over 6,000 seals for company.
Described as British sailing’s best-kept secret, coastal cruising in Shetland is a unique experience. The geography of these hundred islands ensures there’s always a sheltered anchorage. As well as being very long, the indented coastline is extremely varied, with everything from sandy beaches and salt marshes to sea stacks and some of Europe’s highest sea cliffs.
The water is generally much deeper than around the Orkney Islands to the south, and most of the hazards are easily visible. Navigational aids and charts are first class. The excellent shore facilities include more than 20 well-equipped small marinas around the coast. Nearly all keep a berth spare for visiting yachts, which can also use Shetland Islands Council’s piers for a small fee.
Sailing clubs around the islands organise dinghy races all summer and you can still see the traditional ‘Shetland Model’ skiffs racing at local regattas. Visitors are always welcome as spectators or competitors. Windsurfing is very popular, as the combination of sheltered bays and stiff winds makes Shetland a perfect place for it. Local surfers tend to favour the beaches around Sumburgh but with the right conditions you can find good surf almost anywhere on the west coast.
SCUBA DIVING
Lerwick is the main centre, with five spectacular wreck sites within three miles of the pier and, not much further out, some extraordinarily beautiful scenic diving at the Giant’s Leg, the Orkneyman’s Cave and the Cave of Noss.
Because Shetland has sunk by more than 100 metres since the last glaciation, there are several more shorelines under water. So almost anywhere around the 1600-mile coastline you can find kelp forest, submerged stacks, cliffs and even caves with underwater entrances, as in Burrafirth, Unst.
There are many historic treasure wrecks where you need special permission to dive, such as the famous De Liefde in Out Skerries and the Queen of Sweden in Bressay Sound, but everywhere you go you’ll find Nature’s own treasures: reefs covered in brilliantly coloured sea anemones, soft corals, sea squirts, starfish, golden shoals of tiny fish feeding on plankton and seals feeding on the fish. In summer the seas around Shetland are among the most productive in the world.
If you prefer to see beneath the waves without getting wet, there are boats fitted with remote-control submarine cameras linked to colour TV screens on deck, a wildlife watching technique pioneered in Shetland.