WE MADE IT TO SHETLAND

We made it – Nell’s crew reach Shetland and complete the mission

So Chris, you have made it to Shetland – when did you get there?

When we last spoke we were on the Isle of Westray, Orkney. We left Kirkwall, Orkney and made it to Lerwick Shetland, arriving in the early hours of 14^th June. The journey was fairly arduous, being a 100 miles with no stopping point. We had aimed to call in at Fair Isle, which is about the halfway point, but we were prohibited from landing due to ongoing works in their tiny harbour. Fortunately at that time of year, the Shetland skies are only dark for a couple of hours, in the middle of the night.

What’s Shetland like? For those of you that have seen the TV crime drama of the same name, it is very similar. Fairly barren, treeless landscape, that has its own beauty. The villages and towns are small but friendly, the beaches are stunning, and the murder and crime rate is far lower than the TV show suggests.

What did you see whilst there? We hired a car and drove around, a great deal. We saw many of the tourist spots, such as St Ninian’s beach, Sumburgh lighthouse, museums and restaurants. We walked a great deal, which helps build an appetite for a hearty evening meal in the restaurants. Sadly, despite huge trawlers and numerous mussel farms, seafood didn’t feature much on the local menus. A great deal of the produce is exported.

Are you pleased with how the trip went overall? I am delighted. It has been a true adventure with the best bit being that we have raised awareness and funds for Volunteer Action.

How much have you raised?

We set out to raise £7,000. I am delighted to report that we have exceeded this target, thanks to the generosity of local companies and individuals. We could not have raised this amount without the help of Nolan Throw Ltd, Woodford & Co, Hunt & Coombs Solicitors, Country Court Care, and Oundle Osteopaths. There have been over 80 personal donations too, from former clients, friends and many of your readers. I have been touched by the generosity and the number of kind messages, too.

So what is the total?

To date we have raised an incredible £8,450 for Volunteer Action – the gofundme page is still open – if people search Nell to Shetland, they can still contribute. AND we are inviting offers in writing for two special items, that we would like to sell, to boost the coffers further. We have a very special bottle of whisky from the Scapa Distillery, which we visited – this was a ‘distillery only’ release – so it is not available in the shops. Along with this we would like to offer the VA mascot bear, Barnicle, who has travelled with us the whole way. These will make great Christmas presents, so offers in writing, for the pair together, should be made to my email address chrisafloat@gmail.com  - by 1^st December please.

Where are you now and what are your plans?

Right now, we are at anchor off a tiny island, right up in the north-west of Scotland, near Ullapool. Red deer are roaming about, seals are guarding the shoreline and we can see pods of dolphins hunting for their supper, 200 yards away. We are riding out some bad weather, and await an opportunity to cross to Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides. We will leave Nell in Scotland over winter and I will return to Oundle to say a huge THANK YOU to all who have supported this adventure and helped us raise significant funds for Volunteer Action. I would also like to thank you, Oundle Life for taking an interest in the journey, as your publication has helped raise the funds too.