Hatton…..
I get the impression (feathered) bird watching is also your “thing”; if so – and you are going to Shetland – perhaps you should have a look at the front page headline in the Independant today, HERE!
Back to aviation, I worked there for six years plus (ATC) during the oil exploration boom of the late seventies/early eighties; fabulous place. …..Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s littered with wrecks (60 years later!). …..The Fair Isle HE111 is famous and I’m sure a few bits are left. …..The only one I visited in all the years I was there took hours to get to by foot (Mosquito). I can only think of one or two others, twenty years ago, even further away.
That said, there is plenty of historical interest to be found. …..Sumburgh and Scatsta are the two main WWII airfields, the latter being linked/associated with Sullom Voe flying boat base. …..Both are still operational (civil) along with Tingwall, west of Lerwick and numerous strips on the various islands. …..Still lots of old hardstandings and bits to be found if you take a wander.
One of the highlights of my explorations was finding the grave of Flt Lt. David Hornell VC (Canadian) buried in Lerwick, complete with VC insignia on the headstone. Based in Wick, but killed in action in a PBY-5A Canso somewhere in the seas around the Northern Isles. …..Also, amazingly, there were some fairly good remains at the WWI Royal Naval Air Station Catfirth, but we are talking some time ago now. …..Then there was the land based torpedo tubes on the Lerwick side to protect the harbour entrance, Lerwick/Bressay. …..And the radar station bunkers at Noss, north of Fitful Head. …..Not to mention the WWI naval guns still on the island of Vementry on the west coast to protect the standby anchorage off Hillswick for the Grand Fleet from Scapa Flow. …..I could go on and on!
Good luck! …..But if you want to see birds, relics and plenty of historical military atmosphere, go to Orkney. …..Last went four years ago; Scapa Flow and all the associated WWII naval and aviation interest is on a different level to Shetland, although personal opinion.
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