Absolute pea soup this morning. All we can see is the occasional bird flying past. We are approaching very slowly the port of Lerwick. Today we have to use the tender boats to go ashore and getting 2000+ people off he ship on a orderly and timely manner is a finely tuned process.
First things first though the United Kingdom Border Security have boarded he ship and everyone must line up in person and present the passports for clearance. The process starts just after 8 and we are finally off the ship at 10.20. We are doing a tour this morning to have a drive through the town and then out into the country to see an archeological site dating back to 600BC.
The fog is still very thick and without the sun it is cooler but not cold. We have a stop at a little village on the way to Jarlshof to look at local knitwear and a small museum. On the way to Jarlshof the fog clears a little but then rolls back in just as quick.
We see Shetland sheep, rabbits, a couple seals playing in the bay, eider ducks and huge seagulls. They breed them big here in the Northern Hemisphere.
The country is very green , rolling hills and rugged rocky outcrops. We pass a few Shetland Ponies in paddocks. The Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse settlements in Shetland are one of the most important and inspirational archaeological sites in Scotland. We see and hear about the different living conditions through 4000 years of human history. The stone structures were discovered by the landowner after a storm hit the coast and washed away the top layers of sand and soil. There are remains of late Neolithic houses, a Bronze Age village, an Iron Age broch and wheelhouses, a Norse longhouse, a medieval farmstead and a 16th century laird’s house. We listen to our guide for awhile but then wander off to look for ourselves.
On the way back to Lerwick we stop to see the Shetland Ponies. The are about six of them with a foal in the paddock. They are very friendly and come over to the fence to be patted but the foal stayed put. As we went to leave, another bus load pulled up and the foal was so small that he came under the fence !
Back in Lerwick we have fish and chips for lunch and a walk around the old town including Fort Charlotte. As we board the tender boat again, the fog has rolled back in as thick as ever. Now back on the ship, I don't think there will be a scenic cruising description tonight as we leave Lerwick.
Sea day tomorrow.