Winter in Shetland
As I sit here typing this blog, I can hear the wind blowing up to 60mph outside with an alternate mix of heavy rain showers and sleet showers. The temperature gauge lures you into a false sense of security saying that it’s 4 degrees Celsius but with the wind chill, it feels much colder.
The days are dark just now with the sun rising about 9am and setting again by 3pm. We are now at that stage of winter where you are grateful for all the Christmas lights just to add an extra bit of glow. Meanwhile you count down the days, not to Christmas but instead to the shortest day, knowing that once we get passed the 21st December the daylight will begin to return.
Taking the above into account, it makes you wonder why Promote Shetland have just launched their “Find Your True North” campaign, a campaign to entice visitors to Shetland in the winter months.
Well, here’s why. Despite the cold, dark and windy days of winter, Shetland is a magical place to visit anytime of year. Shetland’s landscape and rugged coastline is just as spectacular on a windy day as it is on a sunny day.
There are so many nice walks you can do around Shetland, although please do so carefully and responsibly. Taking a long walk over the hills in Shetland in the wind fairly blows away the cobwebs! Bring along a flask of tea and tasty tab nab (you can easily pick something up from one of the local honesty boxes as recently seen in the TV series “Shetland” by Jimmy Perez and his dad).
The light at this time of year coupled with the incredible scenery makes it an ideal location for photographers. And if you're lucky, you may even see the Mirrie Dancers (Northern Lights) too.
If you are feeling very daring, get in touch with our hardy group of wild water swimmers, who are more than happy to show you some of Shetland’s stunning beaches, while swimming in the sea. The sea temperature is about 6-7 degrees Celsius just now, so remember to dress warm.
If you aren’t feeling brave enough to take on the elements, there are plenty of fun things to do indoors. Such as:
- Visit the Shetland Museum and Archives
- Drive to the Hoswick Visitor centre
- Catch a film in Mareel
- Go for a coffee and scone in one of our delightful cafes
- Spend time (and/or money) in our local shops
- Head to one of our swimming pools for a refreshing dip. This time it would be indoors of course!
This is just a brief introduction to what is available in Shetland at this time of year. For more information, check out Promote Shetland’s websitehttps://www.shetland.org/visit/winter
And don't get me wrong, we do get some nice weather in the winter time too.
