To the west were the wilds of Greenland, Canada and Alaska. To the east were
the freezing landscapes of Norway, Finland and deepest, darkest Siberia. I
was a very long way north - and I was on holiday in Britain.
This felt strange. Before visiting Unst, Britain's most northerly populated
island, I hadn't realised quite how far “up” the country went. But there I
was on a small Shetland island with 600 inhabitants, an awful lot of sheep,
a fair few Shetland ponies, plus thousands of razorbills and gannets -
farther “up” than Oslo or St Petersburg.
I stared at the chintzy curtains and pine-wood walls in my room, thinking:
“How on earth have I found myself here?”
The Baltasound is no design hotel, but it is Britain's most northerly, with
clean, simple rooms - some in peculiar red bungalows - each with fine views
across a sloping peat landscape leading down to the sea.
The views made the long journey worth the effort. While the hotel's decor was
dull, the reception smelt faintly of fried food, and a gutter flapped in the
wind by my window, the splendid scenery cast all minor grumbles aside.
Like the other guests - and there weren't many - I explored the island taking
in spectacular cliffs by Muckle Flugga lighthouse in the north, the
16th-century castles and the old Viking sites. I was lucky to have fine
weather, and at night the stars in a cloudless sky shone brightly in a way
they never do “down south”. There was blissful, almost eerie silence: I
can't remember feeling so peaceful.
The hotel is in Baltasound, the main settlement and once a bustling herring
port. Its bar is the centre of much local life. Crofters and fishermen
played darts, laughed and ordered “wee drams” of whisky or pints of Valhalla
beer.
A bearded man told me about Up Helly Aa, the annual Viking-inspired festival,
and downed a pint of Woodpecker. Another told me that she was a “Shetlander,
not a Scot”, and polished off a wee dram. It was virtually impossible not to
get chatting. The Baltasound was a real place, sometimes rough and ready,
and not tarted up for tourists.
My haddock and chips was ordinary, heading towards dire, but I didn't mind.
I had learnt to take The Baltasound as it came. I was as far north as the
Mystery Guest can go, it was beautiful, and that was enough for me.
Bottom line Mystery Guest paid £50 for a B&B single; doubles
£80.
Sampling the fare Haddock and chips cost £6.50.
Best thing The silence.
Worst thing Greasy food.
Need to know Baltasound (01957 711334, www.baltasound-hotel.shetland.co.uk),
Unst, Shetland ZE2 9DS.
Room 4 out of 10
Food 3 out of 10
Service 7.5 out of 10
Value 7 out of 10
Score 5.38
PUT TO THE TEST: 20 Mystery Guest questions for... Baltasound Hotel
1. Do rooms have kettles/coffee makers? And is there fresh milk?
Kettles and fresh milk on request.
2. Is there a hairdryer, and is it fixed to a wall?
A hairdryer can be requested from reception.
3. Are coathangers metal, wooden, removable?
Plastic coathangers, removable.
4. Complimentary bottle of water?
No.
5. Sheets and blankets or duvets?
Sheets and duvets.
6. What about a 'pillow menu'?
People who are allergic to feathers can request synthetic pillows.
7. Is lighting good enough for reading?
Yes.
8. Is there a shaving/make up mirror? And is it well lit?
No.
9. What about the in-room entertainment system?
Tiny TV.
10. Is there a temperature control panel?
Yes, on the small electric heater.
11 . Do the windows open?
Yes.
12 . Is there good sound-proofing?
Reasonable.
13 . Is there wi-fi internet access?
No.
14 . Is there a good place to go jogging nearby?
Plenty of countryside to jog in.
15 . What is the vegetarian food selection like?
Poor.
16 . Is there baby listening/babysitting? And are children welcome at
adults' evening meals?
No. but children welcome at meals.
17. Is there wheelchair access to all areas?
Steps to the reception. Wheelchair users must call in advance to gain access
via a side door.
18. Do you get a free paper in the morning?
No.
19. Is there a pub round the corner?
Small pub/bar connected to the hotel.
20. Is there free car parking? And is it secure?
Yes, but no need for security on the small island, which has little crime.
I stayed at the Hotel last year (2007) and loved it so much I went again this year. I loved it even more when I found out new owners had taken over in april who have already set about making improvements. There wasnt a smell of the Mystery Guests fried food. New chef using local produce. Top marks.
Doug Johnson, Sudbury, Suffolk
The Baltasounds appears to fall into the category of places to visit before you die, since they're fast disappearing in the face of cloning.
However, the writer failed to point out the major tourist attraction of Unst, namely the bus shelter. The site is down for reorganising at the moment but make a note to log on soon. It's at www.unstbusshelter.co.uk. Judged one of the top ten websites of 2004, this is my all-time favourite website. It gives me the impression that Unst is in an enviable timewarp of cultural values with a low headcount of decent law-abiding folk. A bus shelter such as the one in question would be totally vandalised within minutes in most UK towns.
Maggie B Dickinson, Preston, Lancs
Maggie B Dickinson, Preston, Lancashire
My husband and I dined at the Baltasound in July 2005. It might not have been the ultimate culinary experience but it was a perfactly good meal in the only hotel on Unst, an amazing island, the most northerly on Shetland. The night before we had been invited to a fish and chip supper in the village hall, where we were welcomed along with 450 locals. At the Baltasound two young bronzed chaps on an adjacent table started chatting; they had just rowed in from Norway and were going on to the Faroes. Judging the hotel using London standards is not at all relevant. It is a local hotel, catering for local people and visitors who love that part of the world. It is pleasantly unpretentious.
Mary Hoyle, Stamford, Lincs