Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland
We have reached the northern most point in our trip around the British Isles today by coming into Lerwick this afternoon. This morning we felt the latitude, we are only 6 degrees south of the Arctic Circle, when we went ashore on the island of Mousa. Here we walked against the mighty winds of the North Sea to an ancient Broch or Iron Age defensive structure used from 300 BC until the age of the Vikings. It was quite dark in the round windowless tower as we started our scramble between the two walls up to the top. There was a definite connection made to the past by being in the Broch and hearing the wind whistle past outside. After a quick walk back to the landing and an exciting Zodiac ride that for some of us included a coast guard flyby, to make sure we were all right, it was time for lunch. The Endeavour was repositioned to the small port at Lerwick.
It is Saturday so many people are out shopping and socializing. Some of the locals were interested in the blue and white ship that could be seen from the pier and other vantagepoints. There was some time for shopping or sightseeing before we boarded coaches to visit the important archeological find, Jarlshof. On this site there is evidence for habitation for over 3,000 years. One culture simply built their settlement on the remains of the past one. It was another chance to compare the past and their way of living to our own. How different are we from them?
We have reached the northern most point in our trip around the British Isles today by coming into Lerwick this afternoon. This morning we felt the latitude, we are only 6 degrees south of the Arctic Circle, when we went ashore on the island of Mousa. Here we walked against the mighty winds of the North Sea to an ancient Broch or Iron Age defensive structure used from 300 BC until the age of the Vikings. It was quite dark in the round windowless tower as we started our scramble between the two walls up to the top. There was a definite connection made to the past by being in the Broch and hearing the wind whistle past outside. After a quick walk back to the landing and an exciting Zodiac ride that for some of us included a coast guard flyby, to make sure we were all right, it was time for lunch. The Endeavour was repositioned to the small port at Lerwick.
It is Saturday so many people are out shopping and socializing. Some of the locals were interested in the blue and white ship that could be seen from the pier and other vantagepoints. There was some time for shopping or sightseeing before we boarded coaches to visit the important archeological find, Jarlshof. On this site there is evidence for habitation for over 3,000 years. One culture simply built their settlement on the remains of the past one. It was another chance to compare the past and their way of living to our own. How different are we from them?
