The sea, with its ever-changing beauty, has been a constant source of inspiration for Sheila throughout her life and career. Sheila's island home, Orkney, has some incredible landscapes and, if you're brave enough to face the windy weather in the winter—and it's safe enough to do so—some wild waves! 

In this blog, we share some of our favourite Sheila Fleet sea-inspired designs, and some places in Orkney where you'll see our stunning seascapes. With beautiful beaches and a breathtaking coastline, if you're planning on visiting Orkney this autumn or winter, we highly recommend adding these locations to your to-do list! 

Yesnaby

Based in Sandwick on the west coast of the Orkney mainland, Yesnaby is a stunning stretch of coastline, and a fantastic spot to admire the sea (carefully!) and enjoy an exhilarating walk. Yesnaby is one of Sheila's favourite places to visit and take photos.

Sheila capturing the scenery at Yesnaby

Pentland Collection

Sheila based her Pentland collection on the Pentland Firth, the sea that separates Orkney from Caithness in the north of Scotland. This stretch of water has some of the strongest tides in the world and Sheila’s design captures the drama, movements and motions of the waves.

Pentland Enamel Necklace in Sterling Silver

Brough of Birsay

The Brough of Birsay is a tidal island, accessible only at low tide. Situated on the brough is the remains of a Pictish settlement with evidence of Viking buildings as well. Sheila's Birsay Disc collection was inspired by a small lead disc found here.

Sheila wearing Birsay Disc (Brough of Birsay in background)

Tidal Collection

Sheila's Tidal collection is admired by many of our customers! The bold, fluid lines in this collection recall the ever-changing shapes of ocean waves and the eternal ebb and flow of the tides. Sheila recently added new designs to complement her stunning Tidal Bangle.

Josie wearing Tidal in Sterling Silver

Dingieshowe

Dingieshowe is a beautiful beach situated on a thin isthmus between the parishes of St Andrews and Deerness in Orkney's East Mainland. With rolling sand dunes covered in marram grass, this location was the inspiration for Sheila's Wild Grasses collection. And just a 10-minute drive from our Workshop and The Kirk Gallery & Café, Dingieshowe is a must-visit!

Jocelyn modelling Sheila's Wild Grasses collection

Need to see more? Explore all Sheila's collections that were inspired by the sea!