Kate Humble – wild about Shetland's skies

It was her prolonged silence that convinced me that Kate Humble really was entranced by her surroundings, and not just putting on the false enthusiasm of some celebrities.

We were sitting together on Wild Skies Shetland’s “talking bench” at the top of Saxa Vord, enjoying the view across Unst to Yell and Mainland Shetland, with a glimpse of the Muckle Flugga lighthouse cottages in the foreground. The “talking bench” had just played us a piece of harp music called The Mirrie Dancers (northern lights), written, performed, and gifted to Wild Skies Shetland by Unst resident Sunita Staneslow.

The swaying curtains of the aurora are well represented by the cascading chords of the harp. When it is finished, Kate sat quietly, listening to the silence and to the sky larks. For a good minute or two. Then she sighed deeply, remarking on the joys of fresh air, dramatic views, and beautiful sounds before turning to do another professional piece to camera.

I told her about Wild Skies Shetland, which aims to highlight the many wonders of Shetland’s skies to both locals and visitors. With the northern lights, simmer dim (long summer nights), wild storms, frequent rainbows and dark, dark nights, the Shetland skies are rarely dull.

We visited the Planetary Trail, also on Saxa Vord, starting at the sun (illustrated as a collage by Unst’s nursery children) and passing Mercury (represented through a piece of knitting) and a watercolour picture of Earth.

The Planetary Trail, which is installed from April to September, combines local artistry, education about our solar system and a dramatic walk culminating – once you have passed Neptune and Pluto – in excellent views across the bay to Muckle Flugga lighthouse. You’ll even find a picnic bench just past Pluto!

It’s an adventure which is free of charge, though you can donate on the Wild Skies website.

Wild Skies Shetland also has a small exhibition of pictures by local photographers of Shetland sky phenomena, including aurora, the Milky Way, a waterspout, noctilucent clouds and a lunar eclipse.

As well as some unusual sky phenomena, the exhibition showcases more common sights. Did you know that the open horizons and changeable weather in Shetland mean that it is one of the best places in Europe for seeing rainbows? Rainbows are caused by reflection, refraction, and dispersion of sunlight through a raindrop – and the co-existence of rain and sun in Shetland is not uncommon!

The Wonders of Shetland’s Skies exhibition can be found at the Unst Heritage Centre in Haroldswick, May to September 2023.

And what of that talking bench, playing harp music to hilltop visitors? That is part of an exciting new venture for Wild Skies Shetland, the Unst Sky Trail. This trail takes you to 13 beautiful spots in Unst, at each one inviting you to read and think about a different aspect of the skies – Shetland dialect is featured, along with some astronomy, Viking history and meteorology.

Contemporary issues such as climate change and energy production are covered, with the Sky Stop near Belmont ferry featuring the tidal turbines hidden in Bluemull Sound, using energy from the ebb and flow of the tides which are caused by the moon. Each Sky Stop has a small distinctive Wild Sky panel, which starts with a sky-related Shetland saying. Some of our favourites are:

• Der mony a change in a simmer dim, far less a winter’s nicht.
  Things can change, even in the best circumstances.

• Never trust a Joolie sky
  Don’t trust over-fine appearances; July weather can be deceptive.

• He shines in the water, An sinks in the sea. Fire canna burn him, What can he be?
  A ‘guddick’ or Shetland riddle.*

The Sky Trail will officially be opened later in 2023. In the meantime, if you are lucky, you can come across some of the Sky Stop panels, and even a talking bench or two, at some of Unst’s most beautiful places.

* Who shines in the water, An sinks in the sea? The answer is, of course, the sun!

Learn more about Wild Skies Shetland by reading our blog post on the Unst-based charity.