Orkney To Shetland Or Shetland To Orkney Via Fair Isle
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Voyage No.4
Thursday 27th June
to
Thursday 4th July
7 Nights
No Spaces Available
Join The Ship In Kirkwall at 16.00
Leave Lerwick 10.00
Voyage No.6
Wednesday 24th July
To
Wednesday 31st July
7 Nights
No Spaces Available
Join The Ship In Lerwick at 16.00
Leave Kirkwall 10.00
Voyaging from Orkney or Shetland to Fair Isle under sail is a unique adventure.
Sailing offers a unparalleled and immersive experience, where you can take the time to enjoy the journey, learn new skills and be a key part of the team sailing the ship.
Once ashore there is space for nature watching and walking on Fair Isle and the other islands we will visit, meeting people or simply just ‘being’.
Fair Isle is the most geographically remote inhabited island in the UK and having a full day to explore ashore there is the big prize on this leg.
Sailing Type – Mostly Coastal Day Sailing but the route to Fair Isle is an open-water sea passage and there is a chance of an overnight voyage where you would be part of the watch system. More likely we will be sailing for part of a night or have a very early/late start and a long day.
The intention is to spend a whole day/two nights on Fair Isle on both voyages – weather permitting.
Fantastic scenery Shetland and Orkney Fair Isle Westray good weather and fair winds. Instructions very clear safety in mind at all times. Food cooked by Sue was wonderful we had crab and fresh fish as a treat. John and Sue were also very friendly and helpful. Would love another voyage!
Lesley
Thanks for a fantastic week..
It is the skill of a successful host to take a gang of disparate (desperate?) folk and turn them into a group of friends – Well done!
We are thoroughly bitten by the bug and would like to have another go next year
Chris and Alastair
For us, as sailors, Fair Isle lies almost midway between Orkney and Shetland. The nearest land masses to the west are Greenland and Canada which means Fair Isle is exposed to the full force of the Atlantic fury if the wind blows hard with a corresponding rough sea state. Fortunately for us the weather is likely to be more benign and with lighter winds in the peak summer months, but we must still plan our passage carefully and keep a good eye on the weather.
The voyage to Fair Isle from Kirkwall in Orkney is around 60 nautical miles and this may mean an overnight voyage where you will be part of watch system.
From Lerwick in Shetland the voyage to Fair Isle is around 40 nautical miles.
Apart from the weather our main passage planning consideration will be the strong tidal streams. With the right timing Trinovante can use these currents to maximum advantage.
Trinovante will also take you to some other places in Orkney or Shetland on this sailing holiday. Exactly where will be entirely dependent on which way the wind is blowing at the time. To see some likely options check out our Sailing Holidays in Orkney and Sailing Holidays in Shetland
Around midsummer there are nearly 19 hours of daylight this far north. The nights never get fully dark. The twilight of these summer evenings is known as ‘da simmer dim’. If you have never experienced is before the ‘simmer dim’ can feel very exhiliarating and engergising. It’s almost as if you have all the time in the world when the days seem never ending.
Fair Isle harbour is on the North end of the island. Once inside the harbour Trinovante will likely berth alongside the Good Shepheard ferry or the quay, then you will be free to have a whole the day wandering and exploring ashore or sit onboard and take in the surroundings. While watching nesting fulmards from on deck one of our crew commented that he had ‘never been moored in a seabird colony before’.
One of the main attractions of Fair Isle is the large variety of birds that breed on the island and the rare birds that make a pit stop there during migrations. Over 340 species have been recorded.
You are certain to see some majestic but slightly aggressive Great Skuas, busy Puffins and fulmars (the graceful relatives of the albatross) to name just a few.
In 1948 George Waterston bought Fair Isle and launched the Fair Isle Bird Observatory as a public trust. At the time this brought in visitors and was a much-needed boost to the small Fair Isle economy. The National Trust for Scotland bought the island from him in 1954 and over the years purpose-built buildings appeared. Unfortunately, the latest version of the observatory burnt down in 2019. Construction of a new observatory is currently underway, and its anticipated opening date is eagerly awaited.
Today the observatory has become a centre for birdwatchers, researchers, and volunteers from around the world with a changing team of people who carry out bird monitoring, ringing, and research.
If we are lucky one of the volunteers may be available to give us a short, guided tour.
This is a ‘not to be missed’ museum in the old school building provides a glimpse into Fair Isle’s history. David Thompson, a Fair Isle resident kindly turned out to show the crew of Trinovante round the Museum last summer. It is tiny but is one of the best small museums we have visited, very well thought through and nicely laid out.
The Trinovante library picked up a little book of Fair Isle Words with Phonetics at the museum. A couple of words stand out
haaf – listed as an old Norn word for ocean
glaumer or glau – listed as a movement of the arms when feeling for an object in the dark
Take a moment to sit on the bench outside the museum and admire the panoramic views over the south of the island and the sea beyond.
The Fair Isle style of knitting is known worldwide so probably doesn’t need any introduction.
If you are thinking to buy a lovely warm jumper, hat, gloves etc. on Fair Isle itself it is best to check out the web sites of people on the Island and make contact in advance just to make sure they haven’t gone over to the mainland on the day you are there. You can find the links to their web sites and phone numbers here https://www.fairisle.org.uk/things-to-do.html
There are two lighthouses on Fair Isle and you can walk to both of them in a day.
The picture here is of the North Lighthouse on Fair Isle which only has a 14 metres high tower – which quite stubby compared to the 26 metre high tower of the South Lighthouse.
The South Lighthouse also has the distinction of being the last Scottish manned lighthouse to be automated. The Keepers left Fair Isle South Lighthouse on the 31 March 1998.
Both of the lighthouses were built by the Stevensons in 1892.
You can read more about these lighthouses on the Northern Lighthouse Boards Website
Fair Isle Resident Tommy’s Blog lists the current resident population as being 45. This is boosted in the summer by people connected with the Bird Observatory.
Hamish Haswell Smith in his book The Scottish Islands lists the highest population being in the 1840’s at 232 people living in 35 houses but by 1862 134 had immigrated to Nova Scotia. At one time there was even talk of evacuation as happened on St Kilda but the Fair residents have hung on in there.
As with any remote island people often leave for the wider world. Researching this article I came across a mention of Inge Thomson coming from Fair Isle and immediately thought ‘that’s the woman playing percussion in the ‘Karine Polwart Trio’ in one of our favourite NPR Tiny Desk Sessions’
And weird coincidence, we were tuned in to Friday Nights ‘Any Questions ‘on BBC Radio 4 a couple of days before Trinovante set sail for Fair Isle in the summer of 2022 when our ears pricked up. One of the guests was introduced as Jenny Stout, a journalist currently working in Ukraine but originally from Fair Isle. Arriving on Fair Isle a few days at a small party on the beach with some locals we met Jenny who happened to be back on the island for a few days. A lively discussion on Russian politics ensued and, as is often the case, we found out one of our crew was much more interesting than we realised.
All voyage notes refer only to possible itineraries – where we sail, the type of sailing and passage lengths and the places we call into will be entirely dependent on the wind and weather at the time. Particularly of note for this voyage is that Fair Isle does not have an all weather harbour so the weather may stop Trinovante getting to Fair Isle. At this time of year the odds are good but we do have several other special places to sail to if Fair Isle is not possible.
This sailing holiday to Fair Isle will likely have one overnight passage and possible two. Trinovante will not be spending two nights at sea continously.
You can book on any of our UK Sailing Voyages as a complete beginner or an experienced sailor. All the training you need to fully participate onboard is included. You’ll be hoisting sails, steering, and generally participating in all the things that sailors do. That includes chilling out and enjoying the scenery.
Learn To Sail
About Life Onboard
Sailing Videos
Offshore Sailing
Standing The Night Watch – an account written by one of the crew.
Check our Frequently Asked Questions Page or just get in touch for a chat.
It will be Su or John picking up the phone
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