This weekend was all about the main event of my trip, the Shetland Simmer Dim Hash! A hostel full of hashers running and walking on both Shetland proper and Bressay, and getting a taste of local culture, food, and beer!
After a restful night and a nice breakfast in the Magnus Lounge on the Hrossey, all the hashers gathered in the lobby to debark together. In the arrivals hall we were greeted by some local hashers—although only one of them actually lived on the island—and fiddle music.
There was a coach already waiting to take us to the hostel to quickly drop off our baggage, and then on to the start of trail, a good hour’s drive away.
I’m sure a run around Lerwick would have have been lovely, but the drive was worth it, and Saturday’s trail was just stunning! The weather was surprisingly un-Scottish, since it was incredibly sunny, albeit quite windy, and the bogs invariably soggy…
After trail we had the opportunity to visit the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary, which was hosting a grey seal, and the caretakers passionately told us all about it. Some others were crazy enough to take a dip in the cold sea…
We then had a sandwich lunch and circle at the nearby St Magnus Bay Hotel—also serving local beers—after which the coach took us back to Lerwick, so we could get settled in our rooms. It had been a while since I had shared a room with ten other guys!
By sheer coincidence, just before we were about to leave for dinner, the Lerwick Midsummer Carnival parade passed right by our hostel. As so much on Shetland, it was very Viking themed!
Dinner and the rest of the evening program would take place at the nearby Lerwick Town Hall. The main hall was beautiful, with a wooden vaulted ceiling, and stained glass windows, many of them featuring Norwegian monarchs.
The dinner buffet was excellent—lamb pie made with local lamb—the beer aplenty—cask and keg from the local Lerwick Brewery—and the ceilidh—I even brought my dancing ghillies for it—a lot of fun for everyone!
Since it was overcast and rainy by then—we even had a thunderstorm that night—the ‘dim’ was a bit darker than it usually is… It still was a very short night, though!
Hangover Trail
As is customary at events like this, there was a hangover trail on Sunday morning—even though my hangover was less severe than on Saturday morning… Less customary was the running trail length: even longer than the Saturday trail! Since I would need my trail running shoes by Monday evening again, and I prefer them to be dry, I decided to do the walk instead.
For this trail we actually had to cross the water, as it was on the island of Bressay. Considering the weather—mostly wet and misty—it had been a smart choice to not run today, as my running shoes most definitely would have gotten even wetter… As nice as the beach at the ‘swim stop’ looked, I couldn’t be tempted to go in the water. I did get to see a seal in its natural habitat there, though!
After trail we had another marvellous lunch: I just couldn’t stay away from the buttered bannock with slices of lamb…And again: Lerwick Brewery beer on cask!
Then we had to run to catch the ferry to Lerwick again. There we had another drink together, before picking up our bags and the ride to the NorthLink ferry terminal.
Once on the Hjaltland, I enjoyed another dinner in the Magnus Lounge, before joining the other hashers in the front bar for the last couple of beers.
