Michaelswood – Dinosaurs and a Pirate Ship in Aith
A few hours.
The route
Trees are rare in Shetland, which makes Michaelswood in Aith all the more of a treat: a young community woodland that the family of Michael Ferrie, a local musician who died in 1996, planted in his memory.
A path winds through it past a pirate ship, a teddy bears' picnic, a playhouse and life-size dinosaurs, with views over Aith Voe from the top. It's free, and a happy morning for families with small children.
The day
Aith
Through the trees on the dinosaur hunt, a turn on the swings, then a picnic in the polycrub, a warm polytunnel by the gate.
About two hours
Michaelswood
Michaelswood is on the edge of Aith, on Shetland's Westside. Park with care in the village. Entry is free, with a donations box at the gate that keeps the wood going. A path winds through over 60 kinds of tree and shrub, past a bird hide, picnic spots, Captain Blackbeard's pirate ship, a small playhouse, a teddy bears' picnic, and a dinosaur trail of giant models for children to find. There are swings and a play area with benches for parents, and the Philosophers' Trail climbs to a view over Aith Voe. At the entrance, a polycrub, a sturdy Shetland polytunnel, gives shelter and picnic tables if it rains or blows, and anyone may use it. There are no toilets in the wood; the nearest are at the Aith Marina, a short way off. If legs are still going afterwards, the Burn of Lunklet, signed a mile or so from the village, is a 10 to 15 minute walk up a gravel path to a waterfall.
If it rains
The polycrub at the entrance gives warmth, shelter and picnic tables when it rains or blows; the rest is outdoors.
Photographs by Skip Bruce and Islean Gibson via Google