60 North by Promote Shetland

Issue No 1 | Spring 2012

www.SHETLAND.org

NOT JUST A WALL Malachy Tallack learns more about the art of dry stane dyking

Pitch Perfect

Abby Faulkner explores the island of Foula

Winter Wildlife

Hugh Harrop offers an insight into nature in the darkest season

PLUS Celtic Connections Winter Feast A Sailorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paradise Shetland Ponies

Tings & things Eileen Brooke-Freeman introduces the old Norse law courts

GIVE YOURSELF A

SPRING CLEAN.

A TRIP TO SHETLAND WILL BRUSH AWAY THE COBWEBS & PUT THE COLOUR BACK IN YOUR CHEEKS. THE CRISP CLEAR AIR IS IDEAL FOR LONG WALKS

& SHORT BREAKS.

IN LATE SPRING, THE

SOUND OF THE BIRDS

IS JOINED BY THAT OF THE FIDDLE WHEN THE FOLK FESTIVAL BEGINS. EVEN AFTER DANCING ALL NIGHT, YOU’LL GO HOME WITH A SPRING IN YOUR STEP. Visit Shetland at any time of year and you’ll be enchanted by the rugged beauty of the landscape. The place where Scotland meets Scandinavia and the North Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. Whether arriving for the first time or returning you can be sure of a great welcome. To find out more or to request a FREE copy of our Shetland Pocket Guide visit www.SHETLAND.org Like Shetland on www.facebook.com/promoteshetland

Sharing. Sharing is the word that comes to my mind when I think of what Shetland means to me. People have lived here for a long time and are blessed to have traditions and heritage that are still are very much alive and part of everyday life. Shetland is real, genuine, not made up, false or artificial. Shetland is unique. Living here isn’t easy and has never been. Its remoteness and harsh climate very much determine what kind of people it attracts. But one thing is for sure – when you are in Shetland you belong here. Belonging is a rare and precious thing in these modern, fast times. But Shetlanders are very generous and share their beautiful untamed islands with anybody who falls in love with this place and is willing to make an effort to become part of this vibrant community. If you are prepared to do so you’ll soon find out you belong here. The first time I set foot on these lovely islands was almost thirteen years ago and I immediately fell in love with the place and its friendly people. Shetlanders have shared Shetland with me and now it is time I share my love and passion for the isles with you. That’s why we are bringing you ‘60 NORTH’, a new online magazine, published seasonally by Promote Shetland. Hope you find your Shetland inspiration. Happy reading.

Misa Hay Promote Shetland misa.hay@promoteshetland.com

60 NORTH | SPRING 2012

www.SHETLAND.org Editor: Misa Hay Guest Editor: Malachy Tallack Design: Left, www.weareleft.com Cover image: Davy Cooper, photograph by Frank Bradford Disclaimer: Although Promote Shetland has taken reasonable steps to confirm the information contained in the magazine at the time of publishing, it cannot guarantee that the information published is and remains accurate. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Promote Shetland. Events can be subject to change, we recommend you check details before travelling. Like Shetland on www.facebook.com/promoteshetland Follow us on Twitter @promoteshetland

Contents 6

Pitch Perfect Abby Faulkner explores the island of Foula.

“This is what I’ve always dreamed of” Marsali Taylor meets one of Shetland’s youngest pony breeders.

Not Just a Wall Malachy Tallack learns more about the art of dry stane dyking.

Good Food and a Restful Night’s Sleep Alastair Hamilton visits the Scalloway Hotel.

Winter Wildlife Hugh Harrop offers an insight into nature in the darkest season.

Tings and Things Eileen Brooke-Freeman introduces the old Norse law courts.

A Sailor’s Paradise Marsali Taylor gets out on the water.

Making the Right Connections Davie Gardner hears Shetland music loud and clear at Scotland’s most famous music festival.

An Exciting Year Ahead Lisa Ward looks forward to some of 2012’s cultural highlights.

An Amazing Story Robina Barton celebrates our unique geological heritage.

Winter Feast Cathy Feeny samples some seasonal island food.

Photograph: Scraefield, Quarff, by Billy Fox.

Pitch perfect at the Loch of Ouvrafandal

Pitch Perfect Abby Faulkner visits Foula, the island on the edge of the world. Photography by Abby Faulkner

“

hat would you like to do for your birthday?” asked hubby. “Restaurant? A night on the town? Weekend away?” It was July, the sun was shining and a carefree spontaneous break was what I needed. I had heard of the perfect place to kick back and relax and so promptly replied “Let’s go camping in Foula!” Hubby hurried off to find our rucksacks, book the boat and pack supplies.

After all, who needs troublesome airports, expensive hotels and congested roads when there are stunning islands on our doorstep? Hop on a 20-minute flight from Tingwall Airport or take a leisurely boat trip from Walls and visit one of Britain’s most remote inhabited islands, population: 30. Blessed with a (relatively) calm crossing and fine weather, nothing could prepare us

for the first sighting of the island – a green jewel sharply etched against the bluest of skies. Foula took our breath away. Friends, staying on the island, met us at the pier and knowing our predilection for wild camping recommended basing ourselves near Loch of Ouvrafandal. We climbed the steep hill, stopped for tea and marveled at the ruggedly beautiful wilderness. We reached the picturesque

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“a gentle stroll across the stunning glacial valley – Da Daal to Da Sneck ida Smaallie”

loch and pitched our tent facing spectacular ocean views. With endless hours of daylight afforded during the ‘simmer dim’, we decided to continue our hike up Hamnafield. Sitting above marbled peach and pink clouds we watched feisty bonxies (great skuas) swoop and wheel across the vast open peat moorland, vociferously protecting their young. On our return to camp hubby surprised me with a bottle of fizz and a gooey iced cake – candles shimmering in the evening’s golden light. Delicious! The following day we went exploring, and marveled at Britain’s second highest sheer sea cliff – the Kame – rising majestically to 1,200 feet. In the afternoon we passed the time of day with a crofter and helped move his hardy Shetland sheep from one field to another, followed by a gentle stroll across the stunning glacial valley – Da Daal to Da Sneck ida Smaallie – an impressive crevice over 30 metres deep. Hubby, in an adventurous mood, descended down a narrow chimney into the jaws of the emerald cavern and walked to the boulder beach. I didn’t join him, preferring instead to sit with puffins on cliffs bedecked with fragrant wildflowers, watching the dizzying display of birdlife acrobatics over a swirling ocean – an unforgettable experience. Foula is a place to be, to set your watch to island time, to wait for the day to unfold and present itself. It is in equal parts inspiring and beguiling, casting its spell on all who visit. Whether you choose to camp, stay in a bed and breakfast or book a daytrip with Cycharters and a guided walk

Hiking up Hamnafield

with the island ranger, Foula offers the space to contemplate its stunning beauty and wildlife in utter peace, far from the high summer crowds. It was also a fantastic birthday treat – a memorable celebration on the edge of the world. Make sure you sign up for the fascinating Foula Heritage newsletter. Contact admin@foulaheritage.org.uk to subscribe. To learn more, visit www.foulaheritage.org.uk or www.visit.shetland.org/foula

“Foula is a place to be, to set your watch to island time, to wait for the day to unfold and present itself”

Above: Relaxing with puffins Left: Stunning view of Foula from the boat

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“This is what I’ve always dreamed of” Shetland’s most famous residents are not people but ponies. Marsali Taylor talks to one of the islands’ youngest pony breeders, Charlotte Cree-‐Hay, owner of the Redsand Stud. Photography by June Brown

herever you are in Shetland, it’s not hard to see our famous ponies. You’ll spot them grazing in fields by the road, or in herds on a distant hill. They’re chunky, shaggy, with faces hidden by a whirl of mane; in summer, the mares are accompanied by a playful, inquisitive foal, whose tail waggles as if run by clockwork. They may look wild, but every one has a pedigree as long as your arm, registered with the Shetland Pony Stud Book. A good way to get closer to them is to visit one of Shetland’s studs. The Pony Breeders in Shetland Association website lists over 110 breeders throughout the isles, from Sumburgh in the south right up to the northernmost island of Unst. These studs vary in size and in the type of pony they concentrate on.

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One of the newest studs is run by one of Shetland’s youngest pony breeders. She’s Charlotte Cree-Hay, of Redsand Stud, based in Reawick on the west side of Mainland. Charlotte is now 18 and her stud was founded in 2006, when she was just 13 years old. Charlotte has always been interested in ponies. “I never had the opportunity to own one, though, until the winter before we came to Shetland, when I had one on loan, a black Shetland. When we came here, in 2004, then at last I got my own pony, another black Shetland, and wild – she’d never been worked with. I was ten and she was two, and we had a wonderful time together. She was a small pony, though, and I soon outgrew her, so I decided to put her to a stallion, and that’s how the stud began.

Many visitors are surprised by the variety of colours Shetland ponies come in, as the most common colours for ridden Shetlands on the British mainland are chestnut and black. Here, you see ponies of every colour except spotted: black and white, red and white, cream, grey, ‘blue’, fawn. Charlotte’s stud concentrates on black and piebald (black and white) ponies. “I suppose it’s partly because my first pony was black that I’m specialising in that, but it’s also because the standard riding Shetland has tended to be black, so that’s where the ‘big black’ bloodlines are. I like black and white too, it stands out well in the ring. When you’re breeding two colours it makes the foaling even more exciting, you don’t know what you’ll get.” Most of the Shetland studs are quite small, run as a sideline on a small farm, 9

or croft. Redsand Stud currently has three mares, all black, with two in foal to a black and white stallion, Shoormal Vire. “When I get a foal I like, I’ll keep it for the stud. There was one from last year, Redsand Yiska, a dark bay and white filly, and we kept her for a year, but she’s too small, so we’ll probably sell her. The first foal I sold has been backed as a riding pony recently and it’s such a good feeling when you get updates from the owners. Unfortunately Shoormal Vire was only on loan to us – he went off to his new home in October, but all being well we should have two foals from him in the spring.” A driving pony? Visitors often ask what these ponies are used for, and this is one thing Shetlands excel at, pulling light carriages solo, in pairs, or even in fours, particularly around obstacle courses – they’re dodging around the walls and hay-bales while larger ponies are still sorting their feet out. They’re also sold as companion ponies for larger horses, like racehorses. Their best use, though, is as children’s riding ponies. Charlotte’s a keen rider, and this aspect of the stud is very important to her. Shetland ponies come in three sizes, standard (up to 42” to the shoulder), midi (up to 38”) and miniature (under 34”). The ponies Charlotte works with are standard size, which is ideal for riding. “I started the training side with my first black mare, and then when I was loaned Shoormal Vire, I backed him. Although he’s a stallion, he has a fantastic temperament, and he didn’t bat an eyelid. I got him used to being ridden and driven – last year, in the snow, we even hitched him up to the sledge!”

Shoormal Vire’s easy-going temperament made an international film star of him. “There were two different photo shoots – two Danish journalists came in May, and I dressed him up old-style, with a branks, a wooden-cheeked bridle, and clibbers and nets on his back. Then, in August, there was a Czech TV crew, making a documentary – I took him swimming!”

“there was a Czech TV crew, making a documentary – I took him swimming!” Continuing her breaking-in work, Charlotte spent the summer of 2010 backing and training a Shetland gelding, Brockville Roseremus, or ‘Rummy’ for short. “After Shoormal Vire, I wanted another project, and that was Rummy. When I got him he was five years old, ungelded, wild and skinny, with bad lice. I was told by his owner to treat him as totally totally unhandled. I got him gelded, then we spent a lot of time bitting and long-reining him before finally backing him in June. By August, he was cantering, and even trying small jumps. We took him to his first show in mid-August, and he was placed both in in-hand and under-saddle with a lead-rein jockey. It’s almost impossible to compare him to the pony we picked up from the boat six months ago! He’s now gone to a showing home in Yorkshire, and he’s already won prizes in native pony shows there.”

Her latest pony project, HRE Krumpel – or Eddie, as he’s called at home – comes from Dunrossness, where fellow-breeder Helen Thompson regularly takes teams down to compete at the annual Olympia Horse Show. “He’s from the HRE stud, so he’s of riding stock. He’s five, and a gelding, but he wasn’t gelded till he was four, so he has some of the instincts and muscle structure of a stallion. Like Rummy, he hadn’t been handled. Since he arrived at the beginning of October he’s come a long way and has been lightly backed. With the darker nights he’s been turned away for a break and he’s reverted back to his wild ways slightly, but I’ll get him back to where he was.” Charlotte has a very clear idea of the type of Shetland she wants to specialise in: big enough for riding, but with the proper Shetland look. “This pony is the maximum 42”, but often Shetlands of that size lose that chunky Shetland look and become lanky – the breeders sacrifice bone for movement. Eddie looks like a Shetland; he has the strong bones and good hair, and he’s maintained all the traditional characteristics of the breed. That’s the type I aim to breed.” Shetlands are too often associated with very small children, but Charlotte reckons they can make just as good a ride for an adult. “They’re very strong. They were bred to pull loads. Pound for pound, a Shetland is the strongest draught horse there is. I’m 5’4 ½”, average height, and I reckon that if he can buck me off, I’m not too heavy for him. A good, big Shetland can take a rider right through to adulthood. “I just enjoy working with Shetlands – they’re more fun. They’re very intelligent, they like to work, and have a good temperament – I’d trust my first pony with anybody.” Many Shetland youngsters have to put their love of animals on hold while they go off to university on the Scottish mainland. Charlotte, however, has a traineeship as a social care worker here in Shetland. “I don’t want to leave Shetland, my whole life is here and I’m so settled, I love living here. What I’m doing, working with my own horses, is what I always dreamed of.” To learn more, visit www.shetlandponybreeders.com

Charlotte with Shoormal Vire

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“I just enjoy working with Shetlands – they’re more fun”

Not Just a Wall Malachy Tallack takes a lesson in dry stane dyking and meets a master of this indigenous art. Photography by Susan Timmins

he American photographer Mariana Cook recently published a book featuring pictures of what might seem an unusual subject. Best known for her portraits of artists, scientists, writers and politicians, Cook this time focused her lens on something that many people might never even have noticed: stone walls. It is the most basic of materials, and humans have been building with it for as long as they have been building. Here in Shetland, without a supply of trees for wood, stone was the key ingredient in virtually all construction right up until the twentieth century. From ancient field boundaries, brochs and forts, to houses, barns and walls, stone served every purpose. It was easily accessible, highly dependable and, if built well,

extremely long lasting. The most obvious example of this, perhaps, is the broch on the island of Mousa, built around 2,000 years ago yet still standing and still exceptionally beautiful. It is this beauty that is emphasised most clearly in Mariana Cook’s photographs, which were taken in the United States, Peru, England and Ireland, as well as here in Shetland. As the writer Wendell Berry notes in the book’s introductory letter, the walls ‘are works of art, products of skill and of a complex sense of fitness and of fitting together’. Recently I spent a weekend learning the basics of this craft together with three other ‘students’ from around the isles. Our guide for the weekend was Davy Inkster of Burra, who has spent much of his life working with this material. In that time,

he has developed an instinctive feel for the way that stones can go together. Unlike building with brick or blocks, ‘dry stane’ is assembled without any kind of mortar. Instead, it is the weight and shape of the stones themselves that holds the structure in place and keeps it standing, even in the worst of weathers. Rock is not the easiest of materials to use. It is unpredictable and unforgiving, complex and awkward. But what is most challenging for the beginner, perhaps, is that there is never one correct way of building any particular wall. This is a puzzle with thousands of pieces and thousands of possible solutions, not all of which will stand up for very long. Anyone with a need for certainty should stick to bricks. Davy first began experimenting with stone when he was just a child. Playing on 60 NORTH | SPRING 2012

“When you’re working with stone it’s very therapeutic. It seems to f o s e l b u o r t e h t y t p m e your mind.”

the hill while his family worked gathering peats for the fire, he would build cairns, piling the rocks up and seeing how they fitted together. Back at the house, too, there was that short section of garden wall that had to be removed to let the peat-filled trailer pass through to unload. Once that was done, Davy’s father and uncle would simply repair it again. It was an annual ritual, and one that fascinated the young boy watching from the sidelines. In his late teens, Davy fully rebuilt the wall around the family’s croft, and though he first became a joiner by trade, he always kept his hand in. Later, after a time in the salmon industry, he took on some work repairing and rebuilding dykes, and that work just grew. Sourcing books on the subject from the library, he read and researched, improved his techniques and just kept building. It is common these days to use only the best, flattest stones to construct a wall. These are usually sourced from quarries and they produce a fairly uniform and predictable result. But for Davy, this style is unsatisfying, and it misses part of the point. For him, the irregular stones are just as important as those with clean edges and flat sides. “You have to get them to be right” he says. “To make them sit right, it takes a bit of work.” That work is difficult and it can be very slow – just a metre a day

on average – but that is the traditional method, and it is also the method that is most in tune with the landscape. Stones are used in their place of origin; old walls are repaired or recycled; derelict buildings can provide the raw material for new constructions.

“Quarried stone has a deadness with it but the old stones have a buzz with them” And there’s more to it than that, Davy says. There is something both comforting and quite mysterious about working with a material that has been used before, perhaps many times, by previous generations of islanders. “Quarried stone has a deadness with it” he explains, “but the old stones have a buzz with them, like something living. Maybe it’s the hundreds of years of folk living with them and working with them”. Being part of that link to the past can also be a very relaxing experience, he says, despite its challenges. “When you’re working with stone it’s very therapeutic. It seems to empty the troubles of your mind.” A dyke can be like a calendar, too, Davy adds. He remembers still the exact section

of wall he was working on when his father died, many years ago. Other walls hold other memories also: the death of his mother, the birth of his daughter. For him, the connection between these events and these stones is not just a mental association; the events themselves are built in to the wall, they are part of its history. Leafing through Mariana Cook’s photographs of walls from across the world, it is the differences in technique that truly stand out, from Shetland to Ireland, to Kentucky, New England and Peru. Yet even here there are major variations in style from one part of the islands to another. These differences have been influenced largely by Shetland’s remarkably diverse geology, with the stones always dictating the style. This is a truly organic craft, fully in tune with its location. Davy Inkster has a long-held ambition to create a wall that will bring together all of Shetland’s regional building styles. Using stones from around the islands, it would celebrate and preserve these many different traditions. Such a wall would not just be a lesson in local history and heritage though; it would be a work of art, created in and created from Shetland’s diverse and beautiful landscape. Stone Walls: personal boundaries by Mariana Cook, published by Damiani, is available now at £35.

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Good Food and a Restful Night’s Sleep Alastair Hamilton finds a passion for quality and some inventive cooking at the Scalloway Hotel. Photography by Scalloway Hotel

ensational meals served in the seafront dining room and “culinary magic using fresh, local ingredients”: that was just one satisfied customer’s verdict on the Scalloway Hotel. Since it was taken over by Caroline and Peter McKenzie nearly four years ago, visitors and local people – especially those who seek out great food – have been beating a path to their door. Before coming to Shetland, Caroline and Peter ran a small B&B in Inverness, then, starting from scratch in a larger property, secured the top AA rating.

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Caroline laughs as she recalls another accolade: “In 1998, Peter was the first ever Scottish man to be shortlisted for the AA ‘Landlady of the Year!’” When they moved to the islands, where Caroline had taken up a post with the BBC, their vision was to open a guest house that would offer the same high standards that they’d achieved in Inverness and would be the best in Shetland. “However”, Caroline explains, “the right property didn’t present itself”. For several years, Peter managed the Queen’s and Grand Hotels in Lerwick, but

the McKenzies never lost sight of their aim, and in April 2008 they were able to acquire the solid, stone building overlooking Scalloway’s harbour. The hotel, built for Donald and Euphemia McInnes in 1886, recently celebrated its 125th anniversary. So how did Peter and Caroline approach their new project? “Obviously”, says Caroline, “we set off from the outset to build a reputation for the food and to make sure that we were using the best quality produce that we could get. We’re both totally committed and really passionate about what we’re doing. We have a clear

Colin Maclean, head chef

“We work with really nice produce and we’re just trying to cook it simply and as well as we can”

Lobster is just one of the hotel's specialities

idea of the quality of the product that we want, and that’s what we’re aiming for”. They say that, though it all takes time, they’re beginning to see their efforts rewarded, as the hotel’s reputation begins to spread by word of mouth. “We’re surrounded by fantastic raw materials and we’ll buy locally as long as they’re the best”, says Peter. “Blueshell mussels are really good and they deliver every day. Our biscuits come from Charlie Hodge at the Walls Bakery. They’re a little more expensive than run-of-the-mill ones, but people appreciate the fact that they’re made locally”. Caroline adds that they also buy the excellent oatcakes from the Skibhoull Bakery on the northern island of Unst: “We can just email them and they’ll send them down on the bus”. Peter hopes that more local producers will come to recognise the value of having their produce showcased in the hotel’s dining room. The progress they’ve made with food has, of course, depended on their four superb chefs, led by head chef (and former

fisherman) Colin Maclean. He says: “We work with really nice produce and we’re just trying to cook it simply and as well as we can, with a good accompaniment. For instance, we use the Blueshell mussels – which are just amazing – in a mussel sauce which goes with halibut poached sous-vide. The scallops come from just down the road and we set them on samphire”. One of the ingredients that Colin has used to create new dishes is a Shetland speciality, sassermaet. It’s minced beef that’s spiced, typically with nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. He uses it with rabbit in a tasty (and much-admired) terrine, and in Scotch eggs. Reestit mutton – another Shetland favourite – is mutton that’s been steeped in brine for about three weeks, then air-dried, traditionally in the rafters above the peat fire. Colin came up with the idea of making a delicious paté with it. “It’s famous in these parts”, he says. “It even featured in last year’s Scalloway Up Helly Aa!” Colin and his team have won warm

praise on TripAdvisor for a “stellar soup selection”, the local lamb and the “interesting fish on the menu”, like ling and tusk. The chunky smoked haddock Cullen Skink (a creamy fish soup) has also won accolades, not to mention the “unbeatable fish and chips”, which is particularly popular in the more informal lounge bar. There’s been wider recognition, too: in November, the hotel was nominated for offering one of the top three “dining experiences” in the Highlands and Islands. Offering superb food is, of course, only one part of the McKenzies’ vision. They also want to continue their programme of steady improvement to the hotel’s accommodation, from top to bottom. Next on their list is the creation of a very special bedroom, the Shetland Room, which will feature a new four-poster bed, side tables, a desk and a wardrobe, all made to order in Scalloway by Paparwark. The Shetland wool carpet will come from Jamieson and Smith and other furniture and fittings will be made or restored locally.

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“We’re surrounded by d n a s l ia r e t a m w a r ic t s a t fan s a g n o l s a y l l a c o l y u b l we’l they’re the best”

“It’s not just about food; it’s also about lse demonstrating what e ” the islands can offer 18

There will be paintings by local artists, too. Caroline explains: “It’s not just about food; it’s also about demonstrating what else the islands can offer”. Peter adds: “We take a lot of care in choosing everything, such as the beds and mattresses. We have new ones from Hypnos, who make some of the best beds you can buy, and our sheets are the finest Egyptian cotton.” There will also be a new website. Scalloway Hotel has a historic setting, for the village was Shetland’s ancient capital. The Old Norse name, Skálavágr , which means “bay of the large house (or houses) – suggests that the village had some importance in the Viking era. Later, in 1600, Earl Patrick Stewart built a castle to cement his deeply unpopular authority in the islands. He also upset people in high places and, in 1615, was executed for treason in Edinburgh. The castle later served as a garrison for Cromwell’s troops but gradually fell into disrepair. Today, it’s carefully conserved by Historic Scotland and a visit leaves an indelible impression of Patrick’s resources, power and ambition, and of the nature of society in those days. During the Second World War, Scalloway served as a base for the Shetland Bus, a lifeline for the Norwegian resistance operated initially by small fishing boats. As the Scalloway Museum explains, it was a dangerous enterprise. Scalloway, clustered around its sheltered bay, is nowadays home to around a thousand people. With its stone and pasteltinted buildings and, in parts, a remarkably leafy appearance, it’s an attractive place to wander on a fine evening. The village is also a great base for exploring Shetland, with easy access to every part of the islands, from the white sand beaches of Burra Isle or the South Mainland to the spectacular cliff scenery in the north of Shetland. Just ten minutes away, Lerwick offers a superb museum, a huge leisure complex with pool and, from later this year, a brand-new music venue and cinema. So much to see, so much to explore. But when the day’s adventures are done, visitors can look forward to really good food and a restful night at the Scalloway Hotel. The Scalloway Hotel Main Street, Scalloway, Shetland ZE1 0TR Telephone: 01595 880444 Fax: 01595 880445 Email: info@scallowayhotel.com Web: www.scallowayhotel.com 60 NORTH | SPRING 2012

Loch of Spiggie at Sunset: sometimes the scenic views in winter are as good as the wildlife!

Shetland Wildlife’s Nature Notes You might think it is dark…but it certainly isn’t dim! Words and photographs by Hugh Harrop of Shetland Wildlife

uite rightly, Shetland and its wildlife are often portrayed in all their glory during the summer months. But Shetland is also a brilliant place to visit for wildlife watching during the winter. Believe it or not, we don’t live in perpetual darkness and the sun often comes out from time to time – and after December 21st, it is all ‘up hill’, as it gets lighter as every day passes. And at this far north, we really notice it. So where do you start? Shetland is a big place, so the key for a great few days of wildlife watching is to concentrate on the habitats that host the most. Our many freshwater lochs are usually jam-packed with wintering wildfowl from Iceland, northern Europe and western Siberia. Hundreds of Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Teal and Goldeneye can be found with ease, as can beautiful Whooper Swans. For the really keen birder there’s often a goodie or two to be seen – a

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handsome drake American Green-winged Teal has taken up residence in the south Mainland and an American Wigeon is surely out there, just waiting to be found. Large numbers of Greylag Geese also winter with us, and among them you might pick out the odd Pink-footed, Whitefronted, Barnacle or Bean Goose. Then there are our many ‘voes’ – long, sheltered tongues of water that attract marine birds like exquisite Long-tailed Ducks, Eiders, Red-breasted Mergansers, nationally important numbers of Slavonian Grebes and both Great Northern and Red-throated Divers. Shorebirds like Purple Sandpipers and Turnstones can also be found along the coast. If birds just aren’t your thing, then think mammal because at this time of year one critter in particular becomes far less secretive and a lot easier to see: the otter.

With good field craft you can often get outstanding views of otters. This particular animal ate its catch in front of me – but I had been sat in the same spot for several hours.

“the key for a great few days of wildlife watching is to concentrate on the habitats that host the most.”

There are many misconceptions about watching otters here in Shetland. Folk will tell you that dawn and dusk are the best times; some folk will tell you they are impossible to see at any time of year; and some folk will tell you that they are so rare you just don't stand a chance. So how do you go about looking for otters? Firstly, location is key. Otters love shallow and gradually sloping bays with a low sloping foreshore. This is why the environs around Nesting, Vidlin and Lunna Ness, Yell, southeast Unst, north Fetlar and parts of the West Mainland are good places to start looking. Secondly – tide. Otters tend to feed more a couple of hours either side of the tide when, presumably, the ‘new’ water of the day is bringing in rich pickings. Thirdly – and perhaps most importantly – impeccable field craft and a lot of patience. So, you’ve worked out what seems to be a good site and you are there two hours before high tide. Let the fun begin. Patience is a virtue at any time in life, more so when watching otters. Sit quietly among the rocks or use some ‘dead’ ground so you are not breaking the skyline. Wear neutral colours (even though otters have pretty poor eyesight they may pick up high-contrast clothing) and be quiet! Otters have a good sense of hearing and the rustling of a jacket or moving of a pebble may just send them running or swimming before you’ve even caught a glimpse. Once you’ve blended in and tuned in to your environment, then start scanning. Use a decent pair of binoculars to scan the bay and also scan with your naked eye. What you’re looking for is a little head popping out of an empty sea like a cork. Make sure its not a seal by watching the animal when it dives – if you see the backside rise out of the water to be followed by a tail, you’ve got an otter. If it just slowly slips under the surface, its almost certainly a seal. Otters rarely swim that far from where you last saw the animal but it’s important to check every arc as they often change direction underwater, especially if they are chasing prey. Typically you will be faced with an anxious 25 – 30 seconds before it pops up again. If it has caught prey, you’re in for a treat as otters typically eat their prey in situ and you’ll probably be treated to great views. If the prey item is too large to dispatch at sea then they will bring it ashore. 20

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This is when otter watching can be tricky. I don’t know how many times I have lost an Otter as its come ashore through a jungle of kelp and seaweed-strewn rocks. If you don’t see it come ashore, don’t move. Otters will often feed and then head back out again, so by staying still and remaining patient will increase your chances of a second encounter tenfold. Once you are finally done, its important to leave the site as quietly as you entered. And just because you haven’t seen an otter, it doesn’t mean that there wasn’t one there. If you’re not successful the first time, keep trying. But remember to respect the fact you are in the otter’s environment. We have the highest density of otters of anywhere else in northwest Europe here in Shetland, so you perhaps stand more than a 50/50 chance. Good Luck!

Top five

recommended sites for winter wildlife watching in January, February and March:

1. Freshwater Wildfowl Loch of Spiggie and Loch of Hillwell (South Mainland); Clickimin Loch (Lerwick); Loch of Benston (East Mainland); Kirk Loch (Yell); Easter Loch, Uyeasound (Unst) 2. Coastal Voes Laxfirth, Wadbister & Cafirth Voes (East Mainland); Tresta Voe and Sand Voe (West Mainland); Ronas Voe (North Mainland); Baltasound (Unst). 3. Laxobigging North of Brae and east of Sullom Voe, the heather moorland and rank pasture is currently hosting a Rough-legged Buzzard – a rare raptor from Scandinavia. 4. Lerwick Harbour Urban wildlife at its best. Easy to find Grey and Common Seals, Long-tailed Ducks, Eiders, Black Guillemots and ‘white-winged’ gulls from the Arctic like Glaucous and Iceland Gulls. Not forgetting the best ‘fish ‘n chips’ in the UK! 5. Otters The coast of Lunna, Sullom Voe, Yell and north Fetlar are all excellent sites for otters, but take our advice regarding fieldcraft. To keep up to date with wildlife news and sightings as they happen, follow Shetland Wildlife on Facebook: www.facebook.com/shetlandwildlife

The ‘trumpeting’ of Whooper Swans in winter is music to my ears.

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For more information on dedicated wildlife holidays in Shetland, visit www.shetlandwildlife.co.uk. The company has been running wildlife and birding holidays in Shetland for nearly 20 years and offers week-long fully guided trips to all corners of Shetland. As well as offering organised group holidays, Shetland Wildlife also offers a bespoke guide service for individuals and small private groups. 21

Tings and Things Eileen Brooke-‐Freeman offers a brief history of the Norse parliaments and law courts, found in both Scandinavia and in Shetland, as well as other parts of the British Isles.

The THING Project Viking Feast in Shetland Museum (photo Frank Bradford)

rom the 8th to the 11th century, Vikings left their Scandinavian homelands to travel the northern seas, raiding and colonising wide areas of Europe and the North Atlantic islands – Shetland, Orkney, the Western Isles, Isle of Man, Faroe, Iceland and Greenland. Their famous longships allowed them to move swiftly between territories, exploring, trading and spreading their culture and customs, including the Things.

and for trade and exchange. At Þingvellir in Iceland you can still see the remains of the booths, or huts, where traders came to do business with people attending the meeting.

“participation was open to all free men, not just kings and lords”

What are Things? Things, from the Old Norse word þing (pronounced thing), are the early assemblies found throughout Northern Europe as a result of our shared Norse heritage. The Vikings, often depicted as violent invaders and powerful storytellers, were responsible for the establishment of the first parliaments and law courts. These assembly places, where political decisions were made, laws upheld and disputes settled, were at the heart of Viking life. They were also a focus for religious activity

The Things were overseen by the local ruler and the law speaker who memorised and recited the law and was like a judge in a court of law. They existed long before the parliaments and courts that govern and mete out justice in modern society, and participation was open to all free men, not just kings and lords. Many assembly sites can still be identified today by their thing, ting, ding or fing place names. Some examples include Gulating (Norway), Tingwalla (Sweden),

Þingvellir (Iceland), Tinganes (Faroe), Tingwall (Shetland and Orkney), Dingwall (Scotland), Tynwald (Isle of Man) and Fingay Hill (England). Some of them continue to have a vital role in modern society. The Icelandic parliament is known as the Althing, the Norwegian parliament is called the Storting and the Faroese parliament goes by the name of Løgting. The Manx parliament, known as Tynwald, still holds a midsummer court on the ting mound at Tynwald Hill every year.

Tingwall gateway sign (photo Eileen Brooke-Freeman)

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Shetland Tings In Shetland, as in several other places, the word for an assembly is generally pronounced ting (rather than thing) and this is reflected in the place names. Tingwall (ON Þingvöllr: field of the parliament) was the site of Shetland’s parliament until the late 16th century. The lawting was an assembly where local people and officials tried offenders, interpreted the law, and enacted new legislation. The small promontory at the north end of Tingwall Loch, known as the Lawting Holm was the site of Shetland’s local parliament. Although we have documents relating to meetings in Tingwall from 1307 onwards, the only reference to the ting meeting on the Holm comes from a letter dated 1532. Officials are thought to have sat around a rough stone table on the holm, while delegates gathered on the slope below the church. During poor weather the ting probably met inside the church. The holm itself was once an islet

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Lawting Holm, Tingwall, site of Shetland’s parliament until the 1570s (photo Davy Cooper)

entirely surrounded by water and accessed by a stone causeway. In the 1850s the water levels in the loch were lowered, and the Holm evolved into its present form. By 1774 the stone seats had been ripped up in order to make space for grazing, but the remains of the causeway can still be seen today. In the 1570s Earl Robert Stewart moved the ting to Scalloway, although the site was used once more in 1577 when over 700 Shetlanders came to make complaints against the local Foud, Lawrence Bruce, to royal commissioners from Edinburgh.

A quick look at Shetland’s parish names will show you that an unusual number of them include the element ting. Each of these names suggests that there was once a local assembly held in the area. Most of the names refer to townships, Aith, in Aithsting, Dale in Delting, Sand in Sandsting and Lunna in Lunnasting. Some of these places were the sites of parish churches, and may well have been home to influential figures in the Middle Ages. Other ting names exist in early documents, but have gone out of use. Gnípnaþing occurs in documents dated c.1510 and 1682. The name means the ting at the neaps (ON gnípa: a high steep hill) and oral tradition suggests it met on the headland at Neap, in the north-east of the parish of Nesting. Nesting itself is also a ting name, meaning the assembly at the ness (headland). We do not know for certain which ness this refers to, but it may be the promontory where Neap lies. Þvætaþing and Rauðarþing both appear in a document dating to 1321. Þvætaþing

may have been on the Westside, in the area where you find a number of place names which include the element twatt (ON þveit: a piece of grass among rocks or trees.) The place names scholar Jakob Jakobsen suggested that Rauðarþing referred to an area of Northmavine known as Rø. This name still occurs in North Roe, and was probably the northernmost area of this district. There is also a document about a ting having taken met at Gardie in Yell on midsummer’s day in 1538. This meeting shows how important these local tings were. On this occasion the lawman of Shetland was present, along with lawrightmen from Yell and Unst, a dozen assessors, and even a representative of the King. It is not only our ting names which are connected to the law courts. The name herra refers to what seems to be an older administrative division. An old tradition recorded in Fetlar in the 1890s states that the island was once divided into three small districts, one of which was the present day Herra. Each district was said to have had its own ting. There are also Herras in Yell, Lunnasting and Tingwall.

Learn more about Things There is currently great interest in discovering more about assembly sites in Northern Europe. The 3-year THING Project (Thing sites International Networking

Group) has partners in Norway, Iceland, Faroe, Shetland, Orkney, the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Man and is funded by the Northern Periphery Programme, which aims to help small communities at the northern edge of Europe to share their heritage and improve their economies in an environmentally sustainable way. Partners have been researching their local sites and visiting each other’s regions to exchange knowledge and ideas. This has resulted in a greater understanding of the thing meeting places and pooled international experience as to how best to maintain, develop, and interpret them. International workshops, site visits and lectures are strengthening links between regions sharing the same Viking heritage. As part of the THING Project, Shetland Amenity Trust is staging a variety of events in Shetland to help highlight the importance of these early forms of governance and increase knowledge about the era. A range of activities will highlight different aspects of life at the time of the things and some will be joint ventures with partners in Orkney. The first event was a Viking Feast held in November at Hay's Dock Café Restaurant in Lerwick, where the room was transformed into a longhouse for the evening and Viking guests feasted a hearty meal of mussels, herring, mutton

and haddock off wooden plates eating with wooden spoons, knives and fingers. Entertainment took the form of stories and songs and the evening was rounded off with some Viking games – tests of strength and agility! A series of monthly lectures from February to May will be delivered by visiting speakers from Norway, Scotland and England examining Viking women, udal law and the earls of Orkney, as well as discussing the importance of Things in society. Other planned activities include re-enactments at the ting sites, writing and debating activities for school children, and events will be rounded off in July with the staging of an open-air play at Tingwall inspired by one of the original law cases heard at Lawting Holm in Tingwall in 1577. Also in this final year of the project, results of the research will be published through a new website www.thingsites.com and educational and marketing material, including leaflets and booklets will be produced to enable potential audiences to learn more about these early forms of government. Improved interpretation and more tourism opportunities for the sites are being developed, and promotional material is appearing in newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations. So watch out for more news.

Eileen Brooke-Freeman is Place Names Officer for Shetland Amenity Trust.

Thingvellir is the most important cultural heritage site in Iceland. The Althing met here for over 850 years from 930 until 1798 (photo Frank Bradford)

Shetland’s parliament met on Lawting Holm, Tingwall until the 1570s (photo Frank Bradford)

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The author aboard Karima S. Photograph by John Carolan. A still Christmas Eve - much more fun than the supermarket! Photograph by Philip Taylor.

A Sailor’s Paradise Local yacht skipper and dinghy instructor Marsali Taylor describes Shetland’s sailing scene.

he 13th of November turned into a bonny afternoon, so I headed out for a sail. Most Shetland villages have a small marina, and ours, in Aith, is so handily close to the house that I reckon on 20 minutes from crossing my doorstep to being out on the water with sails hoisted and engine off. Today was a personal best: 17 minutes before I pulled the ‘Stop’ handle and the clank of the engine faded into silence. After a week of gales, it was wonderful being out on the water. I had a light wind behind me, and my 8 metre yacht, Karima S, steered herself nicely while I made a cup of hot chocolate and found the last of the chocolate stores. A couple of young guillemots, speckled grey and cream, bobbed up beside me. I sailed north for a couple of miles, and didn’t turn back until the

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street-lights lit up in Aith. Then I had a fast beat home, with the wind in my hair, and the water chuckling under Karima’s prow. Visiting yachts often head up the east coast towards Lerwick, Shetland’s capital. My sailing playground is on the west, Swarback’s Minn, a spread hand of water opening out from the Atlantic, but protected from the worst of the gales by green hills and red sandstone cliffs. Puffins nest here, and kittiwakes; seals bob up close to the boat, and otters bustle along the shoreline. Within 12 miles of my own berth, I have two more marinas (both near excellent seafood restaurants), several piers and two pontoons in beautiful, deserted bays, if I fancy a night under the stars. Karima S’s mast stays up all year, and I manage to get at least one trip on the water every month. Getting out on Christmas Eve afternoon,

when everyone else is fighting supermarkets, is a bonus. My summer sailing season is divided between messing about single-handed from Aith and serious racing up at Brae, the largest marina on the west side. It has 54 berths, and Shetland’s most active yacht racing fleet. Masts go up there in April, and there’s racing every weekend through May and June. It’s not all around the cans; Karima S and I join them from Aith for overnight stays at the western island of Papa Stour, or Sunday lunch at a bay called the Hams – the old Viking word for a good mooring. We race around for the Mavis Grind Foy – an afternoon of sideshows and music – and there has to be some kind of flotilla expedition for the summer solstice, which generally involves a fire on the beach, a barbeque, and staying up past 25

midnight to enjoy the sun dipping below the horizon, then rising again. In July, the regattas begin: Brae first, then Aith, then the fleet works its way around the west side via the villages of Walls and Skeld to the former capital, Scalloway. After that the yachts go down around Sumburgh Head, and up the east coast to Lerwick for the big Inter-Club, followed by the Lerwick Regatta. The regattas aren’t just about racing, though many of the trophies are over 100 years old, and solid silver; they’re also about having a good time, with a disco on the Friday night, a slap-up meal in between races on Saturday, and a dance in the evening. Most have a fishing competition, with the catch barbequed, and many also feature rowing races in the traditional Shetland yoals. It’s not just adults that sail. Over the first weekend in May, we instructors haul the club dinghies out of the shed and put word round that classes are about to start again. They run on Mondays and Tuesdays in Brae, through May to September, and Delting Boating Club also hosts week-long courses for youngsters throughout the summer holidays. Lerwick Boating Club runs classes too, in Picos and 420s, and Sandwick, in the south end, has a thriving Mirror fleet. Youngsters from these clubs regularly compete at national level, and the best go on to represent Shetland all over the world in the Inter-Island Games.

However, Shetland waters aren’t for the unprepared. On the west of Shetland, you have the wide Atlantic breaking on volcanic cliffs, with the bolt-holes concentrated around the jutting out ‘Westside’. On the east, the next stop across the North Sea is Norway. Between east and west, you can either go over the top and chance the currents around Britain’s most northerly lighthouse, Muckle Flugga, or go through Yell Sound, where tides can reach seven knots, or you can head down around the notorious Sumburgh Head.

“Shetland waters aren’t for the unprepared” Sailing in a flotilla with local skippers is a good way to learn more about the area – and there’s usually somebody going round. If you go north-around, don’t miss Shetland’s Boat Haven, in Unst, with a walk-around display of traditional boats and their gear. Last summer gave us a special cruisein-company. The Tall Ships were arriving in Lerwick in mid-July and we were determined to be there. I had a wonderful time plotting passages and getting stores aboard before Karima S and I set off with six Brae boats and two Scalloway boats. Our flotilla

Above: A midsummer rally of Brae and Aith boats at our favourite anchorage. Photograph by Marsali Taylor. Right: Long, summer days are perfect for excursions on the water. Photograph by John Anderson.

had a gentle sail up to the black volcanic cliffs of Shetland’s northern corner, and to a pier in a sheltered bay. We spent the evening squashed into two adjoining cockpits, yarning and sipping port under an enormous yellow moon. The next day was an exhilarating beat across the top of Shetland and into the north island of Yell, where we were given a royal welcome: hot showers, fish and chips and a night of dancing. The following day we raced down the east coast to the island of Whalsay. The last leg, to Lerwick, was a roller-coaster ride in a force five, gusting six. As you’d expect, the Lerwick sailing facilities are good too. There are visitor berths right in the centre of town, and facilities for visiting yachties at the boating club, a hundred yards from the harbour. The Lerwick marina, slightly further from the town centre, has visitor’s berths and an automated hoist. Several marine equipment firms will help you with spares and replacements, and of course there’s a good range of restaurants and pubs. While we were in Lerwick, we took part in the Lerwick Inter-Club, a festival of racing that lasts most of a week. There are races for yachts and dinghies – the Fireball class is popular in Lerwick, there’s a class of Flying Fifteens, and up in Yell, Albacores. Lerwick Boating Club has hosted a number of National Championships, and our top skippers go south to compete too. The Inter-Club is also the best place to see the ‘Shetland Model’, or ‘Maid’, a lightweight, double-ended three-man racing boat. These over-canvassed flyers take a lot of skill to sail, and are great fun to watch too. The boat hall in the Shetland Museum, situated on Lerwick’s waterfront, shows how the modern racer developed from the traditional fishing boat. The boats are suspended in the air, so you can see the hull shapes. One August event on the racing calendar is so much fun I don’t really want to publicise it: a cracking four-hour race to Out Skerries, a little group of islands to the east of Mainland. This includes a night of session music with everyone bringing an instrument, followed by a night of traditional dances, local food like roast mutton and ‘crab’s toes’, then another cracking sail home again with Sunday lunch on the way. My crew for part of this summer was a cousin who sails from a tidal berth near Edinburgh. He made me look again at the facilities I take for granted: a walk-on,

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tides pontoon berth in a crime-free marina, clean waters sheltered by green hills with a chance of adventure in Atlantic rollers just around the corner, and a variety of birds to bob up and watch from beady eyes as I surge past. A choice of secluded anchorages with pontoons, or a marina berth near Britain’s most northerly chip shop, Indian restaurant, and several high-class restaurants, including one which farms or catches its own seafood. Best of all, there’s not a highspeed ferry or supertanker in sight, just the occasional motorboat. Then I took him round our teaching facilities at Brae: a dozen Picos, four

Mirrors, four Sport 14s and an RS Feva, three rescue boats, a briefing space, a drying room, a clubhouse with hot showers and underfloor heating. By the end of the tour he was green with envy, and threatening to overwinter his Westerly Centaur up here. “Book soon”, I told him, and pointed out the boats from the mainland that are already doing that, in preparation for trips to Norway, Faroe and Iceland next summer. We’re plotting next year too. We’ve just formed a Shetland and Orkney Sailing group, and held a Junior Intercounty on the first weekend in October, when it was gloriously sunny, and warmer than

it’s been all summer. We had 15 boats on the water, sailed by pairs of children with broad grins splitting their faces. There’s talk of Shetland yachts going down to the Kirkwall regatta and Orkney yachts returning with them for the Lerwick regatta. We’ve still not done our planned ‘Three Westside Peaks race’ (we need more young, athletic people to do the running bit) or our Class Flotilla sail to a good barbeque beach. I want to do more night sailing, taking Karima out into the long summer evenings and returning by starlight, with the phosphoresence glittering under her forefoot. For us sailors, the summer’s never long enough.

“For us sailors, the summer’s never long enough.”

Below: Rock, Salt & Nails. Photograph by Craig Chapman. Right: Fiddler and composer, Chris Stout.

Making the Right Connections Davie Gardner finds proof of Shetland’s rich musical heritage at Scotland’s most famous music festival.

ow in its 18th year, the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow is one of the world’s most acclaimed music events. Held in venues around the city over three weeks in late January and early February, the festival annually attracts audiences numbered in their hundreds of thousands, plus over 2,000 artists drawn from around the world, performing across a mind-boggling myriad of musical genres. From relatively humble beginnings, Celtic Connections has grown into a massive cultural and social institution. Its name conjures up images and memories of exciting musical events, vibrant cross-cultural collaborations, dynamic educational 28

events and workshops. And from an artistic perspective, there’s really no performer of any stature in Celtic, traditional, world or roots music who doesn’t now strive, or at least have the ambition, to appear at Glasgow and Scotland’s famed winter festival. So given all this, it pays testament to Shetland’s rich musical heritage that so many of our home-grown artists regularly (indeed annually, since the festival’s inception) find themselves on the main festival bill – often in headlining or other high profile slots – while others occupy important support slots, appear at the festival club, perform at ceilidhs or participate in the Open Stage competition.

Over the years prominent local names such as Aly Bain, Fiddlers’ Bid, Catriona Macdonald, Chris Stout, Jenna Reid, Violet Tulloch, Filska, Kevin Henderson, Rock Salt & Nails and Inge Thomson have been regular contributors, either in their own right, as part of a group or as an integral element of musical collaborations (including working alongside artists of international standing, right up to and including the likes of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra) Once again many of those mentioned here find themselves on this year’s bill, while, also this year, the islands’ much lauded Cullivoe Dance Band (recently voted Scottish Dance Band of the Year at the 60 NORTH | SPRING 2012

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Celtic Connections has grown into a massive cultural and social institutionâ&#x20AC;?

Bethany and Jenna Reid, of Filska. Photograph by Michelle Fowlis.

annual Scottish Traditional Music Awards) are also set to feature during a festival ceilidh. Somewhat inevitably perhaps, Shetland fiddle music has dominated the festival whenever the islands’ musicians have been involved, but we don’t think we need make any apology for that fact given that much of Shetland’s musical identity and reputation has been built around that particular tradition. Back in 2008 however, Shetland’s profile at Celtic Connections reached a new pinnacle. That year the festival played host within its hub – the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall – to a full-blown “Shetland Night” concert, featuring not only many of Shetland’s higher profile artists already mentioned here, but also a whole host of lesser known but equally talented individuals and groups, including the likes of fiddler Brian Gear, Fair Isle based singersongwriter Lise Sinclair, young guitarist Ryan Couper (who shared the stage with legendary guitarist Martin Taylor MBE), the Jim Halcrow Dance Band and the unique

Kevin Henderson. Photograph by Sophie Bech.

Cullivoe Fiddlers (to name but a few). That event was critically acclaimed as being one of the outstanding concerts of the 2008 festival, and it also proved to be one of the fastest selling ticket-wise, ultimately playing to a sold-out audience of around 3,000 people. Many of the audience present that evening marvelled at the fact that so many great musicians came from such a small group of islands. Other Shetland-related events at the festival over the years have witnessed the likes of a full-blown Viking invasion, when local group Fiddlers’ Bid hosted a stage full of internationally acclaimed artists from all over the world as their special guests, all adding up to ensuring that the festival organisers, other artists, international music industry delegates and audiences alike get a very clear picture of Shetland as a unique environment with an equally unique culture and heritage. Now an annual event at the festival, Aly Bain’s TV-famed Trans-Atlantic Sessions, where he and American dobro legend Jerry Douglas co-host a series of concerts featuring a raft of international stars from both side of the Atlantic, invariably proves to be one of the festivals hottest tickets, which again helps to keep Shetland’s name prominent in international music circles. This year however, Shetland itself will play host to the Trans-Atlantic Sessions, when the show comes to Lerwick’s Clickimin Centre in February, with its host of international stars firmly in tow, including Raul Malo, lead singer with the Mavericks, and Scottish singer Eddi Reader.

The Lerwick concert will be the first time the show has travelled outwith Glasgow for a Scottish date and also the first time the show has actually played outwith a major UK city. The fact that Shetland was chosen to host this particular show in the first instance, plus the fact that it’s 1,000 tickets sold out locally in less than 24 hours, says a great deal about the islands. To see Shetland’s name alongside other tour dates, in luminary venues such as the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, the London Royal Festival Hall, the Birmingham Symphony Hall, The Sage, Gateshead, and the Convention Centre in Dublin, is most certainly another feather in the islands musical hat. So 2012 is yet another year where Shetland and its artist’s ongoing involvement with Celtic Connections shines through and makes headlines. But what of years to come? Well, many of those appearing at Celtic Connections again this year are still virtually spring-chickens in terms of musical years, so the future in that respect seems bright alone. But with new kids on the block such as fiddlers Maggie Adamson, Gemma Donald and Ross Couper – to name but three – currently making significant waves on the national music scene, the opportunity for furthering Shetland’s celtic connections looks decidedly strong indeed. To find out more, visit www.celticconnections.com

Aly Bain. Photograph by Davie Gardner.

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Mareel will be the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most northerly music, cinema and creative industries centre, due to open in 2012.

An Exciting Year Ahead Lisa Ward, Marketing Officer, discusses the year ahead for Shetland Arts Development Agency.

012 is set to be a very eventful and exciting year for Shetland Arts. It will see the long-awaited opening of Mareel, the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most northerly music, cinema and creative industries centre, as well as the launch of the Hansel of Film project: a relay of screenings of short films made by the public in every part of the UK, kicked off in Shetland on 10th June with the arrival of the Olympic Torch. As well as this, Shetland Arts is already beginning preparations for its very popular yearly festivals Screenplay/Wordplay, Fiddle Frenzy and the Peerie Willie Guitar Festival.

Mareel Plans are already being put in place for a range of exciting activities and events in Mareel in 2012. Situated in a prominent quayside area in Lerwick next to the Shetland Museum and Archives, Mareel will have a live performance auditorium, two cinema screens, rehearsal rooms, a recording studio, education and training spaces, a digital media production suite, broadcast facilities and a cafe bar with free high speed wi-fi internet access.

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Mareel will provide a year round programme of film, live music and other performance events. It will be a hub and a focus for the creative communities not just in Shetland but beyond, and a catalyst for the emerging creative industry sector in Shetland. Drawing upon its very special remote, yet well connected location, live acts will not only get to experience the inspiring seascapes and landscapes of Shetland but will get to enjoy the world-renowned hospitality of our unique island community. Mareel will provide a programme of formal and informal education, training and learning activities designed to appeal to the whole community. These opportunities include the NC Music course delivered in partnership with Shetland College UHI, evening classes delivered in partnership with the SIC and industry certified Pro Tools training. Educational facilities include a multimedia production suite equipped with high spec computers and a range of creative software tools, rehearsal facilities and a lecture theatre (which doubles as the 2nd cinema screen). These facilities are linked together, and to the outside world, by high speed fibre optic connections. Shetland Arts staff will move into the building in 2012 and continue preparations for opening the building later in the year.

Hansel of Film In December 2011, Shetland Arts received the excellent news that it will be taking part in the national London 2012 Festival celebrating the London 2012 Olympic Games. Shetland Arts was invited to submit a proposal relating to Screenplay, its annual film festival, and came up with ‘A Hansel of Film – Shetland to Southampton and Back’, a relay of screenings of short films made by the public in every part of the UK, kicked off in Shetland on 10th June with the arrival of the Olympic Torch in the Isles. A ‘hansel’ is a Shetland dialect word meaning a gift that marks an event such as the launch of a new boat, the birth of a child or the creation of a new enterprise. The various programmes of films will be relayed between participating venues by ‘runners’: creative and energetic individuals who will employ whatever means of transport they can devise to get the right films to the right venue on time. This will culminate in a marathon screening of over 120 short films at Screenplay 2012, Shetland Arts annual film festival. The project will take films made by Shetlanders and others to over twenty venues across the UK and will form a celebration of ‘home made’ short films similar to that which takes place annually at the Screenplay film festival. Acclaimed film critics Mark Kermode and Linda Ruth Williams, who are the curators of Screenplay, will be very active in promoting the project across the country. They will be greeting the ‘runner’ at The Harbour Lights Cinema in Southampton at the project’s halfway point, and will also be visiting other participating venues in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Visitors to 2011's Peerie Willie Guitar Festival, Svara-Kanti.

The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad is the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic Movements. Spread over four years, it is designed to give everyone in the UK a chance to be part of London 2012 and inspire creativity across all forms of culture, especially among young people.

‘Hansel’ is a Shetland dialect word meaning a gift that marks an event, such as the launch of a new boat, the birth of a child or the creation of a new enterprise. The culmination of the Cultural Olympiad will be the London 2012 Festival, bringing leading artists from all over the world together from 21 June 2012 in this UK-wide festival – a chance for everyone to celebrate London 2012 through dance, music, theatre, the visual arts, fashion, film and digital innovation. Principal funders of the Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival are Arts Council England, Legacy Trust UK and the Olympic Lottery Distributor. BP and BT are Premier Partners of the Cultural Olympiad and the London 2012 Festival.

Festivals Shetland Arts’ annual film festival, Screenplay, is curated by Mark Kermode and Linda Ruth Williams, and partners with its annual book festival, Wordplay. Both will run from August 31st to

September 9th this year and Shetland Arts is already busy booking acts and planning events for the festival. Screenplay features a vast number of film screenings, lectures and panel discussions involving national and international film industry professionals and film academics. It also has a strong local flavour, provided by the work of local film makers of all ages and an increased commitment to outreach throughout the islands. Guestspeakers at the festival in the past have included Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent and Harry Potter star Jason Issacs. Wordplay welcomes writers of local, national and international renown, featuring a mix of readings, writing workshops, children’s theatre events and book signings offering a unique opportunity for readers and writers to meet with their favourite authors, hear them read their work and answer questions. Fiddle Frenzy is a celebration of the music and the musicians that have made Shetland one of the world’s most highly acclaimed fiddle playing regions. This year the festival will run from Sunday 5th to Sunday 12th of August. Fiddle Frenzy is an event unlike your average fiddle school. Not only is there fiddle and guitar tutoring from local musicians, but students are also treated to the best in a truly unique Shetland cultural experience. The festival focuses on flexibility and tailor-made workshop packages so students can fully immerse themselves in all strands of a traditional Shetland experience, above and beyond their expectations. A marathon seven-day and night event, Fiddle Frenzy offers students the opportunity to learn and immerse themselves in fiddle music with some of our best tutors and musicians. There are courses suited to beginners, through to the more experienced players. Each year students come from around the world to take part in the festival. The Peerie Willie Guitar Festival is a celebration of guitar with concerts and educational events held in venues and schools throughout Shetland in autumn each year. The event is dedicated to the memory of the late William Johnson, the highly regarded guitarist who pioneered the jazz influenced accompaniment style now prevalent in traditional Shetland music. This year’s festival will run from the 26th to the 28th of October and will feature an exciting selection of both local talent and incoming acts. 60 NORTH | SPRING 2012

â&#x20AC;&#x153;a strong local flavour, provided by the work of local film makersâ&#x20AC;?

Left: Yell inuksuk Right: The Drongs, Eshaness

An Amazing Story Robina Barton celebrates the islands’ fabulous geological heritage, and introduces this year’s European Geoparks Week event.

ince becoming a member of the European Geoparks Network in September 2009, Geopark Shetland has been inspiring audiences within and beyond Shetland with an interest in the islands’ remarkable geology. The beauty and variety of Shetland’s rocks contribute greatly to what makes Shetland such a special place. Moreover, they are fundamental to the way the landscape, vegetation and wildlife of the islands have developed and to the way we live. But more than that, the rocks tell an amazing story of what has gone before. It’s a story that unfolds on a global scale over three thousand million years, and it is helping geologists understand the processes that formed and continue to shape the planet we call home.

Within the islands you discover evidence that over two thousand million years ago Shetland, and indeed Scotland, were a part of North America. You can trace Shetland’s 700 million year journey from close to the South Pole, across the Equator to its current location at 60° north. You can find the remains of a mountain chain of Himalayan proportions, a Sahara-like desert, an explosive volcano like Mount St. Helens and the floor of an ocean as wide as the Atlantic. The best part is you can do all this without being an expert.

Geological highlights Visitors inspired to explore Shetland’s geological heritage on their own can easily do so with trails, geo-exhibits and interpretive panels throughout the islands.

Shetland’s Volcano, the first in a series of self-guided trails, explores the beautiful Eshaness peninsula. Formed from the remains of a large volcano active between 400 and 350 million years ago, it now has one of the highest energy coastlines in the world, battered by the full force of the Atlantic Ocean. The sea has exploited cracks in the volcanic bedrock to carve out the stunning array of stacks, geos and blowholes you can see today. The trail is supported by geo-exhibits, including a new geological picnic table and chairs for visitors to the nearby Braewick Café. Further north, on the islands of Unst and Fetlar, visitors can explore an ophiolite – a section of ocean crust that crashed into a continent 400 million years ago and was thrust up over it. The rocks are well

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“The sea has exploited cracks in the volcanic bedrock to carve out the stunning arrays of stacks, geos and blowhole you can see today.”

Folding crystalline limestone, Laxo. Copyright Jenny Murray.

Aesha Head Papa Stour. Copyright Shetland Geotours.

exposed and, because the ophiolite is tilted on its side, this is one of the best places in the world to see a compact vertical section through ancient oceanic crust. It has been likened by one expert to ‘an open-air museum of oceanic rocks’. An exhibition at the Unst Heritage Centre, along with geowalls in both Unst and Fetlar help to interpret the geological story.

“You can trace Shetland’s 700 million year journey from close to the South Pole, across the Equator to its current location at 60° north.” On the island of Yell, visitors to the Old Haa Museum can relax in the garden among ‘friends’ – six stone figures, each made of a specific rock type and created by a local stonemason. The figures are built in the style of Inuit Inuksuit to celebrate the geological diversity of the island and Yell’s cultural and geological links with North 36

Geology Course South Mainlalnd. Copyright Rick Barton

Burravoe School pupils with the first of the inuksuks. Copyright Mica Schist

America. Interpretive displays within the museum, including miniature figures and audio recordings made by pupils from the local Burravoe School, bring to life the metamorphic processes that resulted in the stunning array of rocks you see today.

European Geoparks Week All Geoparks share common aims and work together to conserve and promote geological heritage through education and geotourism. European Geoparks Week – a Europe-wide festival involving all 49 members of the European Geoparks Network (EGN) – aims to raise public awareness of geoconservation and highlight geological heritage through a range of activities and events. In Shetland EGN week is run in partnership with the ever popular Shetland Nature Festival. Now in its fifth year, the festival has become a firm fixture in the busy Shetland calendar. This year it will take place from the 7th to the 15th of July, with events and activities celebrating the wonderful natural heritage of Shetland, planned throughout the isles. Holding the festival in July allows everyone to make the most of Shetland’s natural heritage, when daylight hours are plentiful, sea cliffs are teeming with seabirds, wildflowers are blooming and there is a good chance of spotting sea mammals. Coinciding

with the school holidays, the festival also enables families to get out and discover the wonders of wild Shetland. In previous years events have included family workshops on ‘creepy crawlies’, a ‘Seabird Spectacular’ at Sumburgh Head, guided walks around Shetland’s stunning coastline, and geo-art activities. There’s always something to suit all ages and abilities and this year will be no exception. Whether your interest is sea slugs or seals, puffins or plants, hill walking or rock pooling the Shetland Nature Festival 2012 will provide something to inform, entertain and excite. This year each day will focus on a particular area of Shetland, including South Shetland, Northmavine, Unst, Lerwick and Noss. Guided walks, talks, family workshops and boat trips are just some of the events that will help bring Shetland’s natural heritage alive for residents and visitors alike. An Open Day at Noss National Nature Reserve is confirmed, and activities will be taking place in and around Shetland Museum and Archives. A full events listing and details of how to book will be available in April.

Shetland Nature Festival partners include Shetland Amenity Trust, RSPB Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage. The Festival is part funded by Shetland Islands Council.

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A tin of reestit mutton soup, now in Shetland Museum and Archives.

Winter Feast Cathy Feeny savours some of the great food available from all over these islands. Photography by Billy Fox

hen it comes to keeping out the winter chill, Shetland food is more than a match for icy weather. Now is the time for the kind of hearty, comforting fare which has sustained islanders for generations. In the past this was made using whatever was to hand, and still today Shetland cooks favour their own excellent local produce. Steaming bowls of fish, meat and vegetables in a nourishing liquor, which blur the line between soup and stew, have helped Shetland folk see off many a southwesterly gale. The most famous of these is Shetland’s own reestit mutton soup. Raising sheep has long been central to the isles’ economy, and the varied grazing habitats of Shetland’s flocks is reflected in the outstanding flavours of their meat. Reestit mutton is cured, and traditionally hung from a wooden frame placed

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across the rafters, over a peat fire to dry – a way of preserving meat for the lean season of the year. As Christmas approaches it can be seen in Shetland’s butchers’ shops. Reestit mutton broth is one of those dishes of which every family has their own version. To make it yourself, simmer the mutton for some hours until tender, in a big pot of water to which you have added potatoes, along with onions and whatever root vegetables you fancy. Other optional additions are pearl barley and parsley. Shetlanders have been exploiting the bounty of the icy tidal waters which surround the isles for over 5,000 years, so it isn’t surprising that fish and seafood dishes feature highly on their winter tables. Mussels are at their very best during the cold months of the year, and Shetland

mussels are among the finest in the world. So good, in fact, that it is worth trying them unadorned. Just steam them open in a splash of water and pluck the sweet flesh out of their gleaming blue shells. A slightly more fancy dish, which nevertheless still lets the mussels do the talking, is mussel and onion stew. In this recipe the mussels are cooked in wine, then served in a thin sauce, made by frying onions and garlic in butter until soft, then adding the strained liquor reserved from the pan in which the mussels were cooked. Served in a warmed bowl, and sprinkled with chopped parsley, mussel and onion stew is frequently available in Shetland’s restaurants, and absolutely guaranteed to have you blowing on your over-eager fingers. In the olden days fishing was vital for maintaining life on the croft. In order to 37

have a sustainable livelihood, Shetlanders were obliged to be fishermen first and farmers second. It wasn’t easy. Witness the necessity of using every part of the fish that could be eaten, including the heads, roes and livers. As is so often the case, however, frugal recipes made using these ingredients occupy a special place in people’s memories and affection, which is why they endure to this day. Preserving fish was also crucial, and another precious food reserve, along with the reestit mutton, was salt fish. Still available from Shetland’s fishmongers, salt fish is usually served boiled with potatoes, after having been soaked for 24 hours in several changes of water. It is most popular with older folk. Popular with everybody, and famous way beyond these shores is Shetland’s smoked fish. Once a necessity, smoking skills are now fostered because of the unique flavour the process imparts. A wide range of fish is smoked in the isles, and it is cooked in many different ways. For an original and delicious take on fish and chips, try smoked haddock deep fried in batter. Or have a bowl of Cullen skink, the well-known Scottish soup which also uses smoked haddock. Named after the town of Cullen on the mainland, purely because it was recorded there during a survey of traditional recipes, Cullen skink is another dish of which there are lots of versions. Typically,

though, it contains milk, onions, butter, smoked haddock and potatoes, with perhaps a swirl of cream. Thick and rich, it’s a real winter warmer. It is no coincidence that so many savoury Shetland recipes include what are locally known as ‘tatties’. Shetlanders are big potato growers, and they are particularly fond of varieties which are ‘mealy’ or floury. If you’ve been despairing of ever again finding an old-fashioned spud, just crying out to be served baked, with a big dollop of butter melting in its fluffy interior, you need look no further. Look out, too for the Shetland Black tattie which, along with other fascinating and delicious heritage varieties, is once more available. And what to dip in your soup or stew? Bannocks, of course: a traditional flatbread, cooked on a girdle. As part of a Shetland Sunday tea, bannocks usually come filled with salt beef. They are thickly covered in flour, so a puffy mouthful customarily leaves you with a white nose, but nobody cares. You can buy bannocks in the shops; they appear warm as an accompaniment to other dishes in restaurants and cafés; and folk bake them in their homes. Bannockmaking workshops are ensuring that the skill is kept alive and well. Another splendid filling for a bannock, or a doorstep sandwich to go with your soup, is smoked salmon. No one should leave these shores without giving

Bannocks, a traditional flatbread is cooked on a girdle. Almost ready to eat.

Shetland’s smoked salmon a thorough sampling, and perhaps taking some home as the perfect starter for Christmas dinner. No two ways about it, this is world-class stuff, and the range of flavours, and the variations in taste and texture between producers are staggering. You will find smoked salmon with spices and seasonings, such as pepper and orange. It is made using beech chips, larch, juniper and old oak whisky barrels. Everybody who is part of Shetland’s food scene is highly enthusiastic about what they do, and eager to discuss it, so never hesitate to ask for advice and information. Watch this space too, for Shetland’s culinary offerings are growing in leaps and bounds. Also ideal for the festive season are exciting new Shetland cheeses, locally made pickles and chutneys, and seriously naughty cupcakes, fudges and chocolates. Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

Left: Smoked salmon Right: Freshly cooked Shetland mussels

“ingredients occupy a special place in people’s memories and affection”

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shetland mussels are among the finest in the worldâ&#x20AC;?

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Visit Shetland at any time of year and you’ll be enchanted by the rugged beauty of the landscape. The place where Scotland meets Scandinavia and the North Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. Whether arriving for the first time or returning you can be sure of a great welcome. To find out more or to request a FREE copy of our Shetland Pocket Guide visit www.SHETLAND.org Like Shetland on www.facebook.com/promoteshetland