Scalloway

After a few pleasant days in Brear we were forced to sail south again. We had hoped to continue further north on the west side, hopefully all the way up to Muckle Flugga and down on the E side of Unst or through Yell sound, but with increasing NE winds we had to budge and instead set cours for the town of Scalloway.
Scalloway is the largest settlement on Shetland's Atlantic coast. Until 1708 it was the capital of the archipelago. Scalloway lies on the north side of its sheltered harbour, and at the foot of the valley leading north to Tingwall, the traditional home since Norse times of the Parliament for Orkney and Shetland.

The town is dominated by the ruins of Scalloway Castle. This was built by Earl Patrick Stewart in 1600 as a means of securing his hold over Shetland and controlling the Parliament. When originally built the castle stood at the head of a promontory, surrounded by the sea on three sides.

Times have changed. The castle is still at the head of a grassy strip stretching back along the East Voe of Scalloway. But it has been increasingly surrounded over the years by land reclamation and harbour development as the importance of Scalloway's port has continued to grow.

As a result the castle is now a little less prominent than when seen in old photographs, but despite its busy new neighbours it remains at the core of Scalloway's sense of identity.