Spring in Shetland: 'The fight of the year'

In his poem The Fight of the Year, Roger McGough imagines a boxing match between spring and winter, where winter is beaten into submission after being relentlessly pummelled by spring’s flowers, lambs, tadpoles and general joyousness.

Here in Shetland, this annual boxing match is particularly dramatic. Winter’s seeming reluctance to throw in the towel (no matter how many head blows spring deals out) means that gales and sleety showers can persist until April and even May. Yet, in the end, spring inevitably triumphs, and the fact that its victory is so hard-won makes it doubly worthy of celebration.

So just what makes spring in Shetland extra-special? Lengthening days is the first sign that winter is losing its bottle. And after long, dark nights spent indoors, a gradual increase in daylight hours is a gift.

Spring means lots more time spent outside, whether that means getting busy in the garden, exploring new places, or trying a new sport. No more nights spent indoors after work. Spring evenings can mean packing a picnic and heading off to a favourite beach or beauty spot for an invigorating stroll.

As everyone knows, this gradual increase in light heralds the countdown to the Simmer Dim. It is a headily intense period of near-constant light which is far too good to waste on sleeping. Why sleep when you can experience some of the world’s most dramatic scenery come to life before your eyes?

Listen to the tale of "Sea Midder and Teran" ... the deity of spring and summer battles the spirit of winter.

In spring, Shetland’s nature jumps out of bed after its long winter sleep, and roadsides and cliffs burst into riots of colour. Primrose, Devil's-Bit Scabious, and Red Campion all enliven spring strolls, while sea cliffs (rightly known as “Shetland’s hanging gardens”) are carpeted in sea pink, spring roseroot and bird’s-foot trefoil among many other botanical delights.

These islands also welcome many a feathered visitor during the spring months. For many Shetlanders, spring would not be spring without the promise of a trip to Sumburgh Head to admire the gorgeously clown-like little harbingers of spring who arrive en masse to breed here. Puffins are perhaps Shetland’s most famous spring visitor, but they are by no means the only one: spring-time guests include the rustic bunting, red-throated pipit and thrush nightingale. In recent years rare species such as the common rosefinch, red-backed shrike, and golden oriole have delighted birders too.

Inspired by the natural world’s activity, spring can seem the ideal time for many of us humans to shed some of the sedentary habits (and extra pounds) gained over winter.

Luckily, Shetland boasts a host of opportunities to get active in the great outdoors. If you fancy taking to the water in a traditional Shetland yoal (rowing boat) you are likely to be welcomed with open arms by one of the several rowing clubs dotted around the isles. The rowing season runs from May to September.

Wild swimming is also an option which has become increasingly popular recently, and while some hardy souls enjoy sea-swimming all year round, the uninitiated may prefer to wait until spring before dipping a neoprene-d toe into the water (a word of warning, the sea temperature is a nippy 8.6 degrees, even in spring).

Kayaking, sailing and coasteering are also popular choices, but if you don’t fancy immersing yourself in the water, why not try hiking, golf, pony trekking, geocaching or cycling? The possibilities are endless.

'Voar redd up'

In a blog post listing the delights of the season, there may seem little place for a word on cleaning. Never fear, we’re not going to tell you to hoover or dust! Shetland style spring-cleaning is much more fun.

During the annual “Voar redd-up” (spring-clean), groups of friends, families and community organisations take to the beaches and spend the day clearing up the “bruck” that the tide has deposited there, leaving everyone pristine beaches to enjoy.

The tempo and energy of a Shetland spring is guaranteed to leave you feeling revitalised. With so much to see and do, the challenge is deciding how best to enjoy it to the fullest.