Trondra

Trondra’s population fell to about 20 people by 1961, and abandonment seemed likely until 1971, when a bridge across Clift Sound linked it to the Shetland Mainland near Scalloway, with another bridge on to Burra; numbers have climbed back to over 150 since. At Burland, the same family has run a working croft since 1976, keeping native Shetland sheep and other animals alongside a restored Norse-style watermill and a shed where they still build traditional wooden Shetland boats. The island’s quiet lanes are good for cycling, and its rocky, cave-riddled shore is a favourite with sea kayakers, some of whom paddle at night to see mareel, the pale-blue glow that flares up in disturbed water. Salmon cages sit in the sheltered water round about, and on clear nights there’s a chance of the northern lights.