We made it! We found our way around airports and made our two flights (first to Glasgow and then to Sumburgh) easily and with time to spare. Our bags arrived with us (phew!), and getting our rental car was a piece of cake. We were exhausted but so excited!
Driving on the left over super-narrow roads took a few minutes to get used to again, and sometimes Jen had to coax me to get up to the speed limit (ha ha!), but we had a lovely drive from Sumburgh through the hilly and gorgeous terrain toward Lerwick.
Despite our lack of sleep, we were determined to make the most of the beautiful, 14C day we had, so we detoured to St. Ninian’s Beach, a tombolo that connects mainland Shetland to St. Ninian’s Isle. It is stunningly beautiful and we braced ourselves against the wind to walk across.
We watched some young locals run into the cold (we imagined!) sea, having just come from the saunas at the top of the hill. Look at the gorgeous Fair Isle sweaters they’d come here in.
The views of rolling hills and rocky cliffs as we drove, the contented-looking sheep in large green pastures every which way we looked, the seals Jen spotted sunning themselves on a beach, and just the overall feel of this place settled joyously in our hearts as we made our way toward Lerwick.
Our vrbo is a really nice, clean two-bedroom flat on Stouts Lane, just a couple doors off Commercial St. (The Lodberries, from the show Shetland, is where we turned.)
Once unpacked, we ventured down Commercial Street, admiring hand-knits on nearly all the people we saw and also in nearly all the shop windows. All the businesses get into the spirit of Wool Week!
Of course, we went into the yarn shops along the way (Jamieson’s of Shetland and Loose Ends), and at the latter made our first Shetland wool purchases (Aister ‘Oo & Laxdale Yarns, which feel softer than Jamieson’s). 
We enjoyed a delicious dinner at The Dowry and then walked back to the flat, ready to call it a night by 8 p.m., having had nearly no sleep in the past 24 hours.
Tomorrow I will attend my first class, and we both will attend the SWW opening ceremony in the evening. Let the knitting fun begin!
Hi Cathy.
You are stirring so many memories for me and you’re just getting started! Lovely day to see St Ninians beach. The shops must make you feel right at home. Looking forward to more adventures you lucky duck!