A solo kayaking trip around Shetland.

The Shetland Islands are very friendly to kayakers in terms of landing spots, which is very important. Their density is on average every 10-15 kilometres and with different exposures, meaning we can choose depending on the direction of the swell and wind. The longest section without such spots is the Hermaness and Esha Ness cliffs. In addition, their exposure to the west and the shape of the bottom on the approach to them means that there is a lot of difficult clapotis there. So you have to plan your paddling around them well, otherwise you can have big problems there.
The Muckle Roe and Papa Stour cliffs are not high, but they are riddled with holes like Swiss cheese. They are cut into by canyons, even several hundred metres long, with smaller side branches, caves, geos, tunnels, sea stacks... Outside, the waves break quite well on the rocks, but after going deeper, it becomes completely calm. There are several pebble and shingle beaches, great for landing - no waves at all despite the significant swell from the west. These are amazing places to play and only for a kayaker – only a kayaker can fit in there in many places. When I was paddling on Muckle Roe, a large helicopter with tourists appeared over the largest canyon; it made 4-5 circles over this canyon. Through Papa Stour there is one of the longest tunnels in Europe passing through the headland from west to east.
There are several very nice tombola beaches. The most famous one is the one connecting St Ninians Island with the Mainland. You can get there by car, there is a car park where people stay overnight. However, the most beautiful one is on Uyea and fortunately it is difficult to get to. From the mainland you can only get there along a long footpath.
I started and finished at Delting Boating Club in Brea. Very friendly to kayakers and there are indeed quite a few of them there, especially in good weather. Free parking for the entire period. Overnight in a tent with access to the infrastructure: toilets and showers (clean and well-maintained), kitchen and laundry ... – £12,5 The best way to contact them is by e-mail. The Shetland Islands are definitely the most attractive for a kayaker compared to others. There are many places there that I do not include in the film - it would be much too long, and I still ended up with a 15 minutes video. However, I decided to keep these 15 minutes after a strict selection and cuts. This is the minimum to show the attractiveness and character of these places. It is worth watching to the end.
#seakayaking #shetland #muckleroe #papastour #hermaness #eshaness #sumburgh #uyea #szetlandy #kajakarstwomorskie