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Lerwick
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Click on any of the places below, or any of the numbers on the map, to get more information about the local area.

South of Lerwick, MOUSA has a 2,000 year-old broch (Europe's finest) and a seal colony. Anchor, and row the tender ashore.

2. POOL OF VIRKIE and Grutness Voe are handy while waiting for the wind and tide to round Sumburgh Head and Fitful Head, or to make the Fair Isle crossing. There is a pier at Grutness but the Fair Isle ferry has priority and vessels should not be left unattended here. Virkie has a boating club and slipway.

3. FAIR ISLE, world-famous for its bird life, has no all-weather anchorage but the North Haven is suitable for summer cruising. Berth at the well-sheltered new pier or anchor off. There is a shop, bird observatory (serving excellent food) and an auxiliary Coastguard.

4. FOULA has no safe all-weather anchorage but the harbour at Ham Voe has been improved. The Kame is Britain's second highest sea cliff. The Hoevdi Shoals, where the White Star liner 'Oceanic' foundered, lie east of Foula.

5. BURRA ISLE has sheltered sounds and a picturesque little bay at Houss. Hamnavoe, a fishing village, is an ideal place to explore the islands of Oxna, Papa, Cheynies and Hildasay.

6. SCALLOWAY, Shetland's ancient capital, provides a commodious harbour and everything a visiting yacht requires. A charming little museum depicts the saga of the wartime 'Shetland Bus'. The boating club extends a legendary welcome. North of Scalloway, Strom Voe offers scenic shelter, worth visiting before exploring Whiteness Voe, Weisdale Voe, Sandsound Voe and the Bixter Firth.

7. SKELD is a landlocked haven - with a good pier and a smoked salmon factory which welcomes visitors.

8. WALLS is the starting point for the annual Round-Foula race and has a cheerful boating club. Nearby, Vaila island has a magnificent Edwardian mansion. Opposite Vaila is an award-winning restaurant, Burrastow House. The cliffs between Walls and Sandness are wild, beautiful and fringed with reefs. The tide race between Sandness and Papa Stour is fierce. More turbulent water lies between Papa and the Ve Skerries to the north west.

9. PAPA STOUR has some of the best sea caves in Britain, two good anchorages - Hamna Voe and Housa Voe - and lovely coast walking with varied bird life.

10. WEST BURRAFIRTH has a pier and good anchorage. To the east lie uninhabited Vementry Isle and the sound of Swarbacks Minn, the entrance to Aith Voe, Olna Firth and Busta Voe.

11. AITH has a shop, post office and lifeboat station pier. An excellent base for exploring the west coast.

12. VOE, the most Norwegian-looking village in Shetland, makes a pleasant overnight stop, with a pub/restaurant and shop nearby.

13. BRAE, at the head of Busta Voe, has good facilities for visitors at Busta House Hotel, the Brae Hotel, the Mid Brae Inn and the Delting Boating Club. There is a heated swimming pool.

Muckle Roe is famous for its rock scenery and the beautiful small inlets of the Hams of Roe. To the north the Isle of Nibon is a noted beauty spot and Hamar Voe is one of Shetland's few all-year-round anchorages.

14. HILLSWICK and Ura Firth are open to the south but safe enough for overnight summer anchoring, to enjoy a meal and drinks at the St Magnus Bay Hotel. The Booth vegetarian cafe is also renowned for good food and has a seal rescue centre in the back garden.

The coast from Hillswick Ness to Uyea Isle is sensational. The Drongs stacks and the Dore Holm lead on to the basalt cliffs of the Skerry of Stenness, where there is a huge, square cave full of Kittiwakes.

North of Eshaness lighthouse is another Hamnavoe (meaning - the safe harbour). Ockran Head opens Shetland's longest sea loch, Ronas Voe (excellent anchorage at the head). The gaunt Ramna Stacks, an RSPB bird reserve, mark the entrance to Yell Sound and the tanker lanes into Sullom Voe. Call Sullom Voe Port Control on VHF Channel 14 before entering Yell Sound.

15. SULLOM VOE has anchorage at its head, on the north side of Brae, and in Garths Voe. It is a long, very sheltered sea loch noted for its wildlife, particularly otters, seals and sea ducks.

Yell Sound is good, cruising water and has secluded bays at Southladie Voe (with a lovely restaurant and snug bar at Westsandwick), Burra Voe, North Collafirth, Queyfirth, Ollaberry and Gluss Voe.

Yell Sound's north eastern shores are bleak and rocky, the only shelter being at Whalfirth (small pier at the head). Tide races skirt Gloup Holm and the northern end of Bluemull Sound.

16. CULLIVOE in north Yell lies on the western shore of Bluemull Sound; it has a sheltered harbour, pier, marina, toilets and a nearby General Store. The annual Regatta features a splendid dance.

Hermaness National Nature Reserve in Unst is one of the wonders of the bird world. The gannetry extends onto the Muckle Flugga stacks. Beyond is the end of Britain, the Out Stack.

Extraordinary caves and natural arches buttress the eastern shore of Burrafirth, a spectacular anchorage but unsafe in northerly winds.

On the north east coast of Unst, Wick of Skaw, Norwick and Haroldswick offer temporary shelter.

17. BALTASOUND, a large and well-serviced harbour sheltered by the isle of Balta, has a swimming pool, leisure centre, pub, shop, diesel pumps, boatyard and marine engineers.

Rounding Muness, Skuda Sound leads to the exposed anchorage of Uyeasound - where there is a shop, fuel pump, phone and youth hostel. The rare Snowy Owl is sometimes seen here.

Shetland's other Uyea Isle has a ruined mansion house and is a paradise for seals and nesting birds, as are the nearby holms of Haaf Gruney, Sound Gruney, Urie Lingey and Wedder Holm.

Basta Voe, a former naval anchorage, is a good place to see Otters at dawn and dusk; food and drink are available at the nearby North Isles Motel. Otters can also be seen on the island of Hascosay where there is a day anchorage on the west side.

18. MID YELL has a large pier and marina, a swimming pool and leisure centre, a boating club and The Hilltop Bar. It is the best base for exploring the east coast of Yell and the neighbouring island of Fetlar, famous for its Snowy Owls, Phalaropes, Puffin colonies and the seal nurseries of the Blue Banks.

19. BURRAVOE, at the southern tip of Yell, is a land-locked anchorage with glorious walks, particularly around Heoganess, which shelters the harbour. The Old Ha' museum and heritage centre has fascinating exhibitions, including the Bobby Tulloch photographic archives, and serves an excellent cup of tea with home bakes.

20. VIDLIN, with its pier and marina, gives good shelter in southerlies and there is a well-stocked shop just up the road from the village.

The eastern mouth of Yell Sound leads into the miniature sea lochs of Dales Voe, Collafirth, and Swining Voe (where the deserted thatched croft at Sand Wick overlooks a fine bay for a picnic), but some very large salmon farms in the area make night navigation unwise.

Lunna Ness has two good anchorages, Boatsroom Voe and West Lunna Voe. Both are good for otters although seals in this area are more wary, being occasionally persecuted by salmon farmers.

21. OUT SKERRIES, the most easterly islands, have a stout pier for fishing boats and a fine harbour between Bruray and Housay. The Skerries are Shetland in miniature - famous for migrating birds and for 17th century treasure - the wreck of a Dutch East Indiaman. An ideal starting point for an onward voyage to Norway.

22. SYMBISTER, in Whalsay is the best base for cruising yachts in the area. The boating club welcomes visitors and the busy fishing harbour has well-stocked shops and a fascinating museum devoted to the German Hanseatic traders who once dominated the Shetland economy. There is a good restaurant at Livister, a short walk from the pier.

South Nesting Bay leads into the perfect anchorage of the Dock of Lingness, where yachts drawing less than 2 metres can ride out any summer storm. The beautiful Isles of Gletness guard the entrance to Catfirth, where the anchorage was used by flying boats in the First World War.