Early morning found National Geographic Explorer safely anchored off Fair Isle, midway between Orkney and Shetland in northern Scotland. This is the most remote inhabited island in the United Kingdom, and is owned by the National Trust for Scotland. Famous for its birds, shipwrecks, and knitwear (the island is covered in sheep), the island has been a base for the scientific study of bird life for 55 years now.
Not quite living up to its name, the island was fairly wet, windy, foggy, and rainy for the entire morning! A little moisture didn’t dampen our spirits however, as keen hikers and observers set out to find puffins and fulmars along the cliffs of the island. Our efforts were rewarded with beautiful looks at nesting pairs of each species. A hike to the community center brought visitors and locals together for tea, coffee, and freshly baked delicacies as cultures met and shared stories in the warmth of new found friendships.
A personal highlight of the morning was the discovery of the wreckage of a WWII German weather reconnaissance Heinkel plane. The converted bomber had been forced from the skies over Fair Isle by British Hurricane fighter planes on January 17th 1941, grounding in a fiery crash which left two of the five crew aboard dead. Lieutenant Karl Heinz Thurz, the surviving pilot of the German plane, was picked up off Fair Isle with the rest of his crew a few days later, on his 21st birthday! The twin engines, parts of the fuselage, and the tail section still lie scattered amongst the rolling hills of Fair Isle.
Our afternoon plans were thwarted by fog and strong southerly winds as our intended visit to the island of Mousa simply wasn’t possible in such high surf landing conditions. Our captain was able to take National Geographic Explorer close enough to the island to clearly get a glimpse of the famous Mousa Broch through the fog. Continuing on towards Lerwick we were able to pass in front of the Noss Island bird cliffs to see a profusion of gannets, guillemots, and even some puffins at the cliffs.
Just before dinner we docked in Lerwick for a calm and quiet night in the heart of this lovely town. Scrumptious locally sourced and sustainably harvested king scallops and pot-caught prawns were the highlights of dinner. A special treat was in store for us all as the local band Da Frustra played for us in the lounge after dinner was served. Rumor has it that some folks even braved a few pints at nearby pubs to help sustain the local economy!
