Have you swum a Tombolo yet?
A dream swim in Shetland
As we drove down the remote single-track road in Shetland the double beach appeared. Stretching out in front of us was a Caribbean-like white sandy beach, aqua blue waters bending around a curving bay with a headland beyond. Yet on the other side of the beach was another bay, another white sandy beach, more aqua blue water and another headland. It was like someone had put a mirror down the length of this massive beach. We couldn’t wait to swim on both beaches.
We were swimming the Tombolo beaches of St. Ninian’s Isle in Shetland, which is over 100 miles north of John o’ Groats in the high North Atlantic. The water was a cool and refreshing 10C and noticeably colder than our home beach swim in Nairn.
Swimming on the first beach we revelled in the incredible visibility in the water as the white sandy beach stretched out into the bay. There were flickers of what appeared to be salt crystals or reflecting a change of temperature perhaps, but this dazzling sunny flicker was mesmerising. Crawling through the water I could see these crystals streaming through my now open fingers.
After a few hundred meters of cold swimming, we ran across the beach and proceeded to swim in the second bay. This one had more seaweed, the odd crab and more to look at in the water, reflecting the direction of the fetch from the distant sea. There was also a seal swimming and fishing among the rocks and coastal verge.
We couldn’t quite believe our luck. To be swimming in Shetland, in the sun with virtually no wind and on such a special beach. Tombolo was a new word to us and its pillow-like reference will always remind me of sunny stunning swimming in Shetland.
Have you swum in a Tombolo? Let me know where in the comments.
Swim-on folks.
