At the starting point of the EV12

Thursday, June 5, 2025
The first thing I notice about Lerwick after leaving the harbor is the Shetland Hotel, an ugly brown building across from the port. It’s drizzling a bit, a fresh wind is blowing. We see other cyclists working with their luggage. Are they pulling out their rain gear? We start cycling. Already on the first incline, I struggle; I can feel the roughly 17 kg of luggage, and it's quite steep too. A break at the Lerwick Brewery, is that a good sign? Then it goes downhill, but because of the wind, I have to pedal; it doesn’t move by itself. The rain is getting heavier. We shelter under a bus stop and put on our rain gear. There are quite a few bus stops, and they are a very practical facility for cyclists; they also provide protection against the wind!
Again a tough climb, then our route veers off onto a side road. We pass one of the two establishments where you can get coffee or tea, a mixture of post office, gas station, and café. At least that’s what it says in the blog we’re following. The rain has stopped; it's too early for coffee, so we continue. Uphill and downhill, we follow the coast on a single-track road. The cars wait patiently until we reach a passing place. We see fields with sheep and their lambs, always behind a fence. The vastness of the landscape impresses and brings forth initial feelings of happiness. We have to return to the main road. The cars overtake us at a swift pace, but always on the other lane. Or they wait patiently until they can pass.
Then another side road appears, even with a 'Café' sign. Unfortunately, it's closed for the season, as we find out. We still sit on a bench ('that's okay') and unpack our snacks. Even with a bit of sunshine! And off we go, uphill and downhill again; the ferry should be coming soon, right? Finally, we see it approaching from our side. Let's get on! No idea how the payment works; someone will surely let us know. In the ship's lounge, it’s pleasantly warm, and sitting properly feels good too!
On the island of Yell, we leave the ferry; no one asked for money. That’s fine. There’s a food truck at the parking lot that sells coffee. Now we make our move. On we go. The scenery hardly changes - road, fences, fields, sheep, lambs, occasional houses, strangely most of them with a chimney on each gable, and continually a view of the sea. After about another hour, we should be near our first pre-booked accommodation. After a detour - the B&B is not far from the main road, but we initially circumnavigate it on a side road - we reach Quam B&B. We receive a warm welcome and settle into our room. There’s still time until the booked dinner, so we cycle to the beach. It’s beautiful here. An older couple has taken off their shoes and socks and is walking along the water's edge. We can do that too! The water is refreshing but not really cold. It's fun, the sun is shining, and the view over the sea is wonderful!
Dinner is at 6:30 PM, and there are four other guests present. A bit of small talk; I can somewhat keep up with my English. There’s a tasty soup, a type of pork with pineapple and potatoes with salad. And a beer. Breakfast is being discussed; 7:30 AM is okay. Then follows a deep sleep... The nearly 70 km have worn me out with their 700 meters of elevation.

Friday, June 6, 2025
I get my standard breakfast, just without beans and with toast instead of rolls. Strengthened, we head north, uphill and downhill, mostly on the main road, with light luggage. The plan is to stop at the northernmost pub in Scotland during our return journey, in Mid Yell. We are wearing rain gear, which also shields against the wind, which is sometimes blowing hard, unfortunately mostly from the front. The next ferry takes us to the island of Unst; again, no one wants money from us. Somehow, the landscape changes; I can’t quite describe what it is. Perhaps the settlements are larger, but there are fewer than in Yell. Sheep, lambs, fields, sea, and bus stops remain the same. It’s rockier, with more cliffs.
The first Shetland ponies are spotted. We visit a church and then the first grocery store we see. I buy a small whiskey for a toast at the destination. Then the first attraction: Bobby's Bus Shelter. A boy had complained that 'his' bus stop was removed. After that, it was reinstated, and many people brought items to make waiting for the bus more pleasant, like a chair or decorations. This has developed into a self-sustaining project, and 2025 is marked by the bee, see pictures.
The weather is getting better, the road narrower, the inclines steeper, and the descents faster. Then finally: we reach the most northern point of National Cycle Route 1, thus marking the start (or end) of the EV12. The beach is stunning again, and the view is superb. Another cycling couple arrives. We have a snack on the ruins of the observation post from the two world wars; unfortunately, the only bench is occupied. But it is still simply fantastic. I can hardly believe what kind of weather we have encountered. A walk rounds off the visit, and we return the same way.
Unfortunately, the only café along the way, Victoria's Vintage Tea Room, has already closed due to an event. When we cycled past in the morning, people were still inside...
In the store, we buy some groceries, who knows when we will see another one again. What was pleasantly downhill before is now a tiring uphill; it exhausts me quite a bit. But the pub is appealing. Again, a free ferry ride, the roughly 40 km stretch seem interminable. The wind has picked up again, directly in my face. My wife rides ahead on her e-bike but can’t find a pub. It probably didn’t survive Corona. Without a pub, there’s no place to stop... At least we bought something; we won't starve.
Finally, we arrive at the accommodation; I get another beer, we make tea (kettle in the room!). We eat, shower,
and off to bed.
Conclusion: Incredible luck with the weather, a wonderful but tiring day (95 km, 1,100 meters of elevation).

Saturday, June 7, 2025
The sun is shining again! The wind is less. After a good breakfast, we leave Quam B&B and set off for Lerwick, where we have booked at Glen Orchy House. After yesterday's strenuous day, I’m quite worn out. Actually, we wanted to return via the western route, and we do the first section, which takes us to Brae. It seems to be a small center with schools, a store, and a snack bar. But when we see it, we’ve already had our snack (in the sun!), so we continue. I need many breaks. The route was meant to have another 300 meters of elevation than the outbound journey, but I have to give in; it’s just not possible. We take the main road and deal with the traffic, taking breaks again and again. Thus, we finally reach Lerwick and our B&B after 70 km and 600 meters of elevation.
A lovely room rewards us with a view of the golf course and sea. The house offers Thai cuisine, and conveniently, we eat right there. It was delicious!
A walk to the town and the former fortification lets the day end pleasantly!
Conclusion: No comparison with our usual infrastructure (rest area, dining options, etc.), but beautiful. New realization: I feel my age...