[Anke]

be careful on the ferry decks -  3 people have gone missing in the last year after going on the decks at night. no-one knows if they fell /got pushed or jumped. terrible for the families not knowing.
not trying to put you off but knowledge vital.

Yes the first one fell/jumped on the journey we were taking up last year... They launched their lifeboat/little dingy with two guys on it and miraculously found the man in the water, he got taken off by the helicopter, but died anyway... the sea was really calm that day, so unlikely to have been an accident...

I am just saying that maybe going up to Shetland at this time of year for your first ever journey in a new car/motorhome is just over-optimistic...

[doganjo]

I am just saying that maybe going up to Shetland at this time of year for your first ever journey in a new car/motorhome is just over-optimistic...

I must say I thought that right at the beginning and expressed my concerns, so I'd be more inclined to have  Phoebe looked after somewhere and fly up if you are desperate to see it. Stay safe. Check the weather history for Shetland

[happygolucky]

We used to drive all over the place in our VW, not the same sort of thing as you are getting as its more like a van with beds and a cooker, when we drove up to Dundee from Market Harborough with our then dog, Bruce a Rottweiler cross, he refused to sit down at all....he stood with his feet on the back seat looking out the window both ways and when we were at our wedding venue accommodation, student halls in Dundee, he never slept much either, when we got home I thought he was ill as he hardly left his bed.......he was like that for 2 days but then back to his normal self!! A secured big crate would be helpful, that way the dog would not get thrown around and would be more able to relax and remain safe, nice fluffy covers and regular stops but no idea of the ferry, 12 hours is a long stint..

[oor wullie]

I was just about to say you have no chance of getting to Up Helly Aa this year as you won't get accommodation........ (most hotels are fully booked a year in advance for UpHellyAa, to make matters worse Total have booked all the accommodation on the island for their gas plant construction workers so now no-one can get accommodation at any time of the year).............but then I realised the whole point of having a campervan 

I would love to go to Shetland in winter (the countless days I have spent in the airport with work don't count).  Yes it can be windy in a way that people from the south can't imagine but that, and the dark, and the wild seas all add  to the attraction.

[darkbrowneggs]

Yes hopefully I will be reasonably self sufficient, and there is a bulk LPG place there, plus I would guess some of the caravan sites may be happy to have an out of season visitor. 


Have you ever used any of the ferries?  And if so which ones?


I might leave the journey till after the main Up Helly Aa at Lerwick as I would guess that is the most crowded one, but if I get to the island after that things should be calmer and I think the last one is sometime in March, so assuming I can get there safely and depending on the weather of course I could maybe travel around a bit and also have a reasonable chance of seeing the Lights whilst I explore the area. 


Of course there are many many things which could go wrong, but isnt that the same with life wherever you are  [size=78%].[/size]

[doganjo]

Yes I am a bit worried about that.  Its a 12 hour trip.  What happens about dogs.  Are you allowed to visit them at all.  Its says they can be left in a ventilated vehicle, but if you take them with you they have to be in an outside area or in a nasty looking cage.

Northlink seem to be the only ferry company that services Shetland, but they ply to Orkney too.  I don't like sedating dogs for this sort of thing.  Better she is left with a friend

[oor wullie]

No I have never used the ferry (except for the Pentland firth ferry when I was a kid), despite living in Aberdeen harbour for several years and every time I saw the ferry going out I said "I must do that sometime" ....and never did.

I get the impression that they are more cautious about setting sail in bad weather than they used to be, I guess the threat of getting a compensation claim from a passenger is too great. 
Even in the worst of weather I am pretty confident in the safety of most boats (I spent christmas 2011 in a boat in 21m waves) however that does not mean it is a pleasant experience (for animals/passengers or crew).