There are many places in Britain where people complain about the distance to the nearest railway station – but few can claim they would have to cross the North Sea to reach it.
For people living on Unst, the most northern of the inhabited Shetland Islands, this is a fact – their closest railway station is in Bergen, Norway’s second city.
Train services are not the only thing that this pretty island lacks, though. It also has no police station or hospital.
In terms of facilities the island, which has around 650 inhabitants and is closer to Norway than Aberdeen, it boasts one pub, one hotel, one school and three shops.
Gale-battered Unst is also not a destination for those seeking winter sun, as the island is so far north it only gets around five hours of daylight in winter.
The island used to have many more inhabitants, with its population reaching more than 2,000 during a fishing boom in the late-19th century.
Another blow came when the SaxaVord radar base was shut in 2005 with the loss of around 100 jobs and a huge knock-on effect on the island’s economy.
The people who remain on the island, who are outnumbered by sheep, have just one bus route and ferry services to elsewhere in the Shetland Islands – and it takes three ferries or two ferries and a flight to get to and from the UK mainland.
However, Unst is also very beautiful, and the Visit Unst describes it as “one of Europe’s hidden treasures”, “an unparalleled island adventure” and “the ultimate northern road trip”.
The island boasts two small museums showcasing its rich sea-going heritage, with visitors also having the chance to visit the grounds of the UK’s northernmost castle and step inside a replica viking longhouse.
For beach goers, Unst boasts five main beaches – although it has others. And wildlife lovers can spot puffins, seals and sometimes whales and dolphins amongst many other creatures.
Being so far north, the island also offers some of the best locations in the UK to see the Aurora Borealis, the famed Northern Lights – and that may not be the only reason visitors are craning their necks upwards soon.
Work is well underway on a spaceport at the former radar station – and it is hoped rockets will be soaring beyond the atmosphere by the end of this year or in 2024.
