Facts of the Day:
Date: 03/August/2002
From: Sumburgh
Via: Eshaness
To: Sumburgh
Miles: 136
Midges: none
Weather: Hazy sunshine & clouds to start, sunny later
Mood: Improving

Having visited most of the South Mainland I decided to drive up north this day. Driving up the A970 past Brae and Mavis Grind I reached the area called Northmavine. The A970 goes through some bleak but beautiful landscape, sometimes you can see Sullom Voe and even the oil terminal on your right. Turning off to Hillswick I soon saw the first cliffs. By now the sun had come out and earlier clouds had disappeared. The view of the cliffs with the sun glistening on the water was beautiful. Continuing to Eshaness I spotted the distinctive stack of Dore Holm on the left. My destination was Eshaness Lighthouse where I wanted to visit Eshaness cliffs and go for a walk. An impression below:

Walking north from the lighthouse I first visited the Holes of Scraada. They were formed when the roof of a deep sea cave collapsed at the end of the cave, similar to The Gloup on Orkney. The difference is that there is no connection to the sea above see level, although there still seems to be a connection below sea level (you can see the swell coming in at the sea facing end). I also saw the impressive arch above right and even walked on it, hoping it wouldn't collapse just that moment (obviously it didn't as wouldn't write this otherwise). I continued to the Grind o'da Navir (Gate of the Borer), where the sea has ripped huge chunks of rock out of the cliff face and deposited them inlands during violent storms. Definitely not a place to be at during rough weather... As the weather was calm I could walk through the gap carefully (there is a blowhole at the bottom of it) and imagine how it must be during a storm with the waves pounding on the cliffs. Late in the afternoon I returned to the lighthouse to start the long drive back to Sumburgh Head. On the way I had this nice view of these cliffs in the warm evening sun, a perfect conclusion to a nice Saturday afternoon: