Shetland Ebb Tide & Storms

The Ebb Tide means `a seaward flow during a tidal phase of lowering the water'. This is the best time to be out searching the beaches of Shetland for something interesting.

Today down on a beach in the south mainland these two folk had a mission to collect seaweed for their crops and garden. There was plenty washed up by the storms and they didn't have  to walk far before they came upon a large pile.

During the recent storms lots of sea glass, pottery and drift wood have been thrown high up on the beach. With it comes a lot of waste, fishing line and rope and plenty of plastic which i collect and deposit in a bin when ever possible

Plenty of rocks to search through

The sea is powerful and will reclaim as much as it deposits so you have to be quick and walk close to the tideline.

Low tide makes it possible to access some more remote beaches, well sometimes this is true but the heights vary so its worth checking times and heights

The storms are also responsible for uncovering man made structures, Jarlshoh  at West Voe Sumburgh is a classic example, Jarlshof was covered over by a storm then revealed many years later by another storm

Ebb tide, seaward flow in estuaries or tidal rivers during a tidal phase of lowering water level.