We motored up from Fair Isle to Shetland on a calm, sunny day and saw no sign of the notorious roost off Sumburgh Head, nor of whales, much to Mike’s disappointment. The anchor was dropped at Mousa, letting Mike and Anne go ashore to to visit the famous Pictish broch, the best preserved in Europe. Evening saw us berthed in the Small Boat Harbour at Lerwick among almost exclusively Scandinavian yachts. The morning dawned with clear skies and bright sunshine, and it became too hot to sit out in the cockpit in comfort – this while parts of England suffered severe flooding. On the way up to Whalsay we saw the North Sea Rescue Helicopter doing repeated drills, retrieving a man from the water. A race among the matched double-ended yoles was just finishing as we reached Symbister, where we met up again with /Iris May II /and her lady skipper, whom we last saw in Wick. The sunset was particularly fine – a fitting end to a grand day.