Textile Journeys 2019

GLOBALYELL LTD 4 SELLAFIRTH, YELL ZE2 9DG TEL: +44 (0)1957 744 355. EMAIL: [email protected] Textile Journeys 2019 dates Arrival May 14th/ Departure May 19th

Arrival 25th June/ Departure 30th June

£1194 per person (single occupancy room.)

Shetland’s unique textile heritage beckons. Join us in 2019 on a four day and five night tour to explore the land, people and places of these enchanting and fantastical islands. • TEXTILE JOURNEYS • ARRIVING IN SHETLAND • Arriving in Shetland •

Getting to Shetland Introduction There are a few ways to get to the town centre, and this is a good way to see , the islands and more The first day on any new adventure is always exciting giving you a different view of how the capital has grown. information can be found at and it is lovely to share it with others. We will arrange visit.shetland.org or on the transport from the airport or ferry to your accommodation A walk along the harbour front past the Lodberries Visit site at curves gently around the base of the hill around which www.visitscotland.com to settle in before we start the tour. Lerwick has grown, and onto the Knab. Have a look at The tour will take in Lerwick but there is so much to the fine Victorian building that is part of the existing High Flights are operated by see that there simply is not time to do it all. Here are LoganAir as a codeshare with School (a new one is being built at Clickimin) as you go some of the things we aren’t scheduled to do on the British Airways. If you are past, and a little further on, on the grassy Knab, you will flying from elsewhere into tour but which you may enjoy doing anyway. be able to see emplacements for guns that guarded the Aberdeen, Edinburgh or The main settlement in Shetland and the capital of the harbour entrance during the War. The town cemetery is Glasgow before coming up to islands, Lerwick is where the majority of the shops and on the Knab, and there is a path that meanders along Shetland, check prices on a outlets are. A walk along Commercial Street, “Da Street” the cliff tops before going down to meet the shoreline at ticket all the way through in dialect, and into the Lodberries takes you past yarn the south end of town. from your chosen airline. shops, knitwear outlets and galleries, while the charity Flights arrive in Sumburgh shops can turn up unexpected bargains such as knitting at the south end of Shetland. In the town centre belts or, occasionally, jumper boards. The Lodberries is the oldest part of Lerwick, the name meaning houses Visit Vaila Fine Art where fine organic blankets from the The ferry is a good way to see privately owned island of Vaila are sold, and Jamieson’s the islands in the summer and stores with their own piers, originally built so that Spinning shop for yarns, knitwear and blankets. Have a months. You can book onto goods could be unloaded directly from boats in the Northlink at harbour. look at Ninian where local designers sell knitwear and woven fabrics, and open the drawers in Anderson & Co www.northlinkferries.co.uk The town is easily walkable, although, if you are heading to see knitwear from local makers. Aurora is another further out of town, taxis are available from the Victoria Bring your walking boots, a Pier. There is a ferry across the island of from raincoat and a jumper. The weather is always fun in Shetland!

3 shop which has woven and knitted pieces for sale, and for interesting books Eating out about Shetland go into the Shetland Times bookshop. The town has a few restaurants and eateries. Try Hay’s Dock Restaurant in Further out, the Shetland Museum has a fine collection of textiles, with pull- the Museum, or The Fort Cafe for fish and chips. There are other places to eat out drawers of lace knitting and , and art featuring the textiles of the as well which you will find as you explore Lerwick. There is good coffee and islands.This is one of the stops on the tour but it is worth visiting more than cakes (“fancies” in Shetland) too in “Da Toon”. once! In the Museum are displays of weave including the famous Adies of Shetland dialect Voe collection, and equipment One tour day is spent in Lerwick, exploring the You may not hear much dialect on “Da Street” but it showing the various stages of town and its textiles. If you are out and about, manufacture. Opposite, Mareel, the is an intriguing and wonderful experience to hear go into the Museum (entrance is free), make cinema and music venue features lace someone speak with the accent, using words that knitting as patterns of light on the your way upstairs and pull open the drawers in simply do not exist in English. For starters, try walls. the textiles displays. There are some peerie, said “pi” as in piquant, and “ree” as in “real”. Peerie means small. There is a fantastically rich If you are an avid walker, it is worth astonishing things to find... dictionary of dialect which is very hard to find, but going the other way, past the Tesco smaller dictionaries are available at Shetland Times supermarket and along the shore. This bookshop. area of Lerwick has some fine old houses set back and, if you continue along the seaside road, it eventually Each area of Shetland has its own accent. The island of Yell has a particularly leads onto another grassy area of emplacements. This is a good place to stop strong accent while arguably the strongest of all is from . In this and watch boats and ships using the harbour because it overlooks the South brochure, we have used poetry extracts from Christine De Luca, a poet from entrance and the island of Bressay. Shetland who now lives on mainland Scotland. Christine’s poem cycle Makkin Sooth Aeshaness is particular to one area of Shetland but the three poems Shetland is home to many beautiful and colourful flowers, including orchids. together are wonderful evocations of how the landscape affects people and The flowers tend to be small and hug the ground to escape the winds that the art of the islands. There is a translation of the poem at the end of the blow across the land, but there are so many in some months of the year that booklet. they colour the hills. It is worth having a close look at them and the wonderful shades that nature boldly puts together. Finally...

Out of town centre - On the following pages are itineraries for each day of the tour. Depending on weather and circumstances, some of these may change, and the information A little along the north road out of town, Jamieson and Smith, aka the Wool given is not comprehensive. We want to keep some surprises for you! Brokers, has a superb shop, full of enticing yarns and handcrafted articles, while on the outskirts, the Textile Museum is open in the summer months for visitors to see the collection and to speak about textiles with the volunteers who run the organisation. Both of these are stops on the tour too.

4 • DAY ONE • SOUTH MAINLAND

The most populated part of Shetland, the South Mainland is home to many craftspeople and artists, puffins and other seabirds. We will visit factories and museums and a lighthouse, and have a picnic on a tombolo... Shetland’s beautiful South Mainland is very easily before heading back the bed and breakfast for a well- The itinerary reached from Lerwick and the first day of the tour will deserved rest! be spent exploring the industrial past and present of 9 am - Leave textiles in the isles. accommodation and head down to The South Mainland has been settled for millennia and Sandwick, a centre for there is plenty to see and do on the way to visit Sandwick textiles production. and Hoswick, historically important places for the production of textiles and enjoying a new revival. Hoswick 1 pm - picnic lunch on has two companies engaged in knitwear, Laurence Odie is the dramatic tomobolo the older of the two, while Nielanell has made a name as a that joins St Ninian’s designer. Nearby the Hoswick Cafe showcases some of Isle to the Mainland. the old looms that used to operate in the factory building and there are displays alongside the tweeds that were 2pm - Head on to made in Hoswick. Sumburgh where the restored lighthouse is Our picnic lunch will take us across to St Ninian’s Isle open for visitors on the where a magnificent sand tombolo, one of the finest in lookout for puffin Europe, joins the island to the Mainland. A walk while lunch spotting, coffee and is being prepared is definitely in order! Blendin colours cake! Nae winder Stenness is da name here: Continuing our passage south, we will end up at Sumburgh ness o stane. Der iverywye you luik 5:00 pm - Return for Head where the Stevenson family (of Robert Louis fame) some aert-fast, some lang vaeged. dinner. built a lighthouse which has been restored to include interpretive displays, a museum, wartime artefacts and a Fae da broo da beach is fawn, but cafe with a splendid view across the landscape of Shetland clos up, der mair colours i da stanes . is also an great place to see the as in a shade caird or i da fleeces abundant birdlife of the islands - puffins especially in the height of the summer season. o Nortmaven yowes: emsket, shaela, moorit - dere, ithin da ebb-stanes Heading back northwards to Lerwick we will pass ancient ithin time’s meld o minerals, milled settlements and modern townships, each with stories of their own. We will have our evening meal in Lerwick (continued over page) 6 • DAY TWO •

LERWICK AND

A day for visiting the old and new capitals of Shetland: Scalloway and Lerwick - “Leirvick means “bay of clay” or “muddy bay”. Museums, shops and, of course, food feature... Lerwick is the capital of Shetland although it only became that in the 18th Century. Built along the Another stop is the Textile Museum, housed in the Böd of harbour, the town is full of steep alleyways, small shops Gremista. One of the looms from Adies is on working and hidden places... display here, and there is a collection of textiles on show as well as temporary exhibitions. Lerwick has been a port for centuries, with periods of frenetic activity during the oil boom of the 1970’s and the A hop away is Scalloway, the ancient capital of the islands herring fishing in the late 19th and early twentieth centuries. before Lerwick took on that role. Scalloway has a castle to The itinerary Nowadays, the harbour is laced explore and a Museum which tells the story of with a mix of old and new the Shetland Bus as well as displays of textiles 9:30 am - leave our buildings, both heritage and and day to day life in the area. If there is time accommodation and industrial, while a little back from we will be able to get to both. head into town. the harbour is the main shopping Spend the morning area, Commercial Street. With a On the way back to Lerwick for the evening looking at the little imagination, it is not hard to meal we will stop to visit some of Shetland’s Museum collection imagine how people lived in most endearing inhabitants - ponies - and and having lunch Lerwick; grand houses set back have a chat with the owner of these fascinating before heading across and the more commercial and feisty little horses. to Scalloway for the activities running along the bay. afternoon. bi tirl o tide an boo o wadder, till ivery stane is different. Der markit We start at the Shetland Museum with its fine collections, lik lambs ithin a flock book: marlit, including a display of textiles showing how the world has taken on the knitting of the islands and made it instantly fleckit, kraigit, sholmit, brandit and Once we have had our recognisable across the globe. It is not only knitting some wi muckle colour patches at evening meal, we will however. Weaving has had a hand in making Shetland could be ca’ed bersuggit. Der stanes return to our textiles famous and we will see some of the equipment that accommodation. produced fine Shetland tweed as well as some samples of fur rinning owre, fur layin fish oot flat that cloth. ta dry. A yoal, weel shoarded, lies abön da beach, a dab o red; sib tae aa Next stop is the Wool Brokers who process Shetland wool from crofters across the islands; an opportunity to purchase da boats at wid a fished fae here. Noo yarns from a converted church and see some of the shjaldurs is da only life ithin da böds; remnants of the herring industry of the isles. a antrin stirleen paeks athin da stanes.

8 • DAY THREE • THE

The north of Shetland’s archipelago is a wild and beautiful area. Our journey continues through Yell to , the most northerly of the islands, to see weave at our own studio and to experience the lace knitting for which Shetland became known by the Victorians. The North Isles of Shetland comprise of Yell, Unst Heading across to Unst, we will see lace knitting at the The itinerary and , linked to each other and the Mainland Heritage Centre where there are beautiful displays of by ferries. Our textiles exploration continues for a the craft, and nearby the Boat Haven is a unique and 9:00 am - leave look at the delicate and beautiful lace knitting in evocative experience; while the men went away to fish, accommodation and Unst, which became famous during the reign of women were involved in knitting to make some money head to Yell. A ferry Queen Victoria... for their families. crossing is required and takes twenty Yell is a peat Unst has some very beautiful beaches, and we may minutes. Watch out for covered island with go for a walk on the most northerly of those. Unst orca and porpoises! three main was also home to the RAF for decades and, dotted Head to the the weave settlements, here and there among the heather-clad hills, studio in Sellafirth in the remnants can be seen of the busy camps that and the Shetland south, in existed. Some of these buildings are very Gallery next door. the centre and atmospheric Cullivoe in the and evocative, Settin pattrens 12 pm - Ferry crossing north. Our route will reminders of I da run waas der barely a door to Unst for a look at the take us along the the different or window left but, dere, ram-stam, lace knitting at the east road of the island to Burravoe where, in season, lives that have da oppens on da sneck Heritage Centre, and a we will visit the which is full of filled the history walk on the white sand interesting and unusual artefacts from the lives of of the islands. wider as I geng, an Fiorda Taing beach. islanders. Each summer, temporary exhibitions are hes a window tae da ocean flör. held in the Old Haa and there is a chance for home- On the way back, Lift your een, an you could swear 4:00 pm - head back to baked cake and tea in the small cafe here. we will stop at Lerwick stopping for Frankies for fresh Da Drongs wis a uncan langship dinner at Frankies for Mid Yell lies along a voe, an inlet from the sea, and has fish off the boat wi Jarl skipper skilin fae atween their rightfully lauded a sheltered harbour which has led to its growth as the that morning... a squaresail an da blackest prow. fish and chips. main settlement of the island. Between Burravoe and Mid Yell, the White Wife, a figurehead from a German Walkin farder on, he sterts ta sink ship, the Bohus, that sank in the area in 1924, looks ta Urafirt. He nivver med hit shurely across the sea while in the north, we will pay a visit to an battles still fornenst da tidal rip. our own contemporary weave studio and an art gallery in Sellafirth.

10 • DAY FOUR •

WEST AND NORTH MAINLAND

The far north is home to some of the most spectacular scenery to be seen in Shetland while the Westside is where Jamiesons’ Spinning Mill creates the yarns that the industry in Shetland uses. Our final day of the tour takes in some of the most and a good view of Dore Holm, a collapsed sea cave The itinerary spectacular scenery in the islands, and the Westside before we head to the cliffs of Eshaness, part of an of Shetland. ancient volcano complete with lava field. This area is 9 am - leave easily one of the most photogenic parts of Shetland and accommodation and The Westside is a place of pilgrimage to many because it we can walk along the cliff edges to see the amazing folds head west to Jamiesons’ is where Jamiesons’ Mill creates the yarns that knitters and contortions that bear witness to ancient upheavals. Mill. and weavers use. We will head out to the West, stopping along the way to see some of the views along the way. Eshaness was the home of Johnnie “Notions”, a weaver Then it is northwards The Mill is not who saved countless lives from the scourge of smallpox to Eshaness. Along the always open to long before vaccinations eradicated the disease. His way stop at the final visitors but the gravestone and another which tells a tale of accident and resting place of 18th drive takes in revenge are in the graveyard nearby. Century peat banks and Man, found in the peat native sheep as Our final meal is at the Scalloway Hotel which is well- with his clothing and well as possible known for its local food before we head back to our artefacts intact. views of the accommodation. island of . Eshaness cliffs are spectacular and there is Heading northwards takes us through where Castin aff a cafe on the way where the ocean almost bisects the land and where we can stop Aroond da ness, blue squill drifts tick we will have lunch. to look at some interesting geological maps. The geology abön da shörmal, an oyster plants crug of the area is unique- we will be stopping to walk along bluey-purple snug among da stanes. Back south we cross the the rim of an ancient volcano and on a lava field, as well bridges to Burra and as seeing sea stacks and pebble beaches. Dey aedge da art dat’s wirkit bi da sea: to visit... well, sichts an soonds, constancy an change. you will have to wait to On a small sideroad, we will stop to see the site where If you could but bottle aa dis beauty, see! Gunnister Man was found. The peat hid his remains and preserved clothing and a small bag for a couple of or dry hit, hing hit on da raep, dan Our evening meals is centuries. There is now a stone and plaque marking the sell hit tae a tristy an a fantin wirld, in the Scalloway Hotel lonely place where he was found. you’d be möld rich, and dey’d be sained. which is well-known for its lamb and Continuing our journey, we pass into the far north of the seafood. Mainland of Shetland with views of towering sea stacks 12 •• THE DETAILS The tour costs £1194 for four days and five nights for a single occupancy room. (If GlobalYell has public liability insurance and financial failure insurance and is you are travelling as a couple please ask about the cost for sharing rooms.) Please covered by Jamieson’s Coaches who provide the transport. We strongly advise that use the booking form overleaf or email us to make your booking or to enquire about you also take out your own travel insurance before travelling for peace of mind. the tours. We will then send you a Paypal invoice with a deposit amount indicated. The 20% deposit can be paid by Paypal, card or cheaue, or bank transfer. The We take our responsibility for everyone’s safety seriously and visit all the places we deposit is guarantee of your place and the full amount is payable by credit or debit go to beforehand to try to safeguard you while you are with us. However, please card, cash or cheque eight weeks before the start of the tour. The deposit is take care when walking around and visiting; the textile industry in Shetland is alive refundable in full if cancellation is made eight weeks prior to the start of the tour. No and well and that means machines, yarns, heat and steam. refunds are given in the last eight weeks before the start of the tour but if your circumstances change and you cannot take your place on the tour we are happy to We will arrange to pick you up and take you to your accommodation on arrival. At transfer any payments to another trip or to the following year. Please speak to us the end of the tour, we will arrange to pick you up and take you back to your about this. departure venue. Please advise us of your dates of travel so that we can arrange transport. The tour lasts 4 days and your accommodation in bed and breakfast for five nights is included. You can book any extra nights at the accommodation yourself. Please Please advise of any special requirements; mobility, dietary, medical or anything speak to us to find out where you are staying. else we should be aware of. It helps us to plan and makes things easier if we know beforehand. Thank you! We will provide all meals on the tour including an evening meal for the first night and breakfast on the morning after the last night, and wine or beer is included in the We are looking forward to welcoming you to our beautiful islands. evening meal price.

There is a minimum number of four people to run these tours to this itinerary. If we have fewer, the tour will still run but the itinerary will be amended. Don’t worry! You will still see lots...

We reserve the right to make changes to the tour, and similarly encourage our visitors to ask about places they specifically want to see. We will try our best to accommodate requests. Translation of Christine De Luca’s poem - Knitting South Eshaness

Blendin colours Blending colours Settin pattrens Setting patterns Nae winder Stenness is da name here: No wonder Stenness is the name here: I da run waas der barely a door or In the collapsed walls there is barely a door headland of stone. They’re everywhere you look: or window left, but there, headstrong, ness o stane. Der iverywye you luik window left but, dere, ram-stam, some fixed firmly in the earth, some long travelled. the Dore Holm opens on the latch some aert-fast, some lang vaeged. da Dore Holm oppens on da sneck

Fae da broo da beach is fawn, but From the brow the beach is fawn, but wider as I geng, an Fiorda Taing wider as I go, and Fiorda Taing clos up, der mair colours i da stanes close up, there are more colours in the stones hes a window tae da ocean flör. has a window to the ocean floor. as in a shade caird or i da fleeces than in a shade card or in the fleeces Lift your een, an you could swear Lift your eyes and you could swear

of ewes: blue-grey, dark grey, mid- o Nortmaven yowes: emsket, shaela, Da Drongs wis a uncan langship brown The Drongs were an unknown longship moorit - dere, ithin da ebb-stanes there amongst the stoney beach above the ebb, wi Jarl skipper skilin fae atween with a Jarl captain peering from between ithin time’s meld o minerals, milled within time’s blend of minerals, milled a squaresail an da blackest prow. a squaresail and the blackest prow. bi tirl o tide an boo o wadder, till by turn of tide and spell of weather, until Walkin farder on, he sterts ta sink Walking farther on, he starts to sink every stone is different. They are marked to Urafirth. He surely never made it ivery stane is different. Der markit ta Urafirt. He nivver med hit shurely like lambs in a flock book: mottled, and still battles against the tidal rip. lik lambs ithin a flock book: marlit, an battles still fornenst da tidal rip.

fleckit, kraigit, sholmit, brandit and spotted, with white chest patches, white-faced, oo oo some wi muckle colour patches at body-banded, and some with biggest blotches that Casting off could be ca’ed bersuggit. Der stanes could be called “bersuggit”. They are stones Castin aff Aroond da ness, blue squill drifts tick Around the headland, blue squill drifts thick above the tideline, and oyster plants huddle fur rinning owre, fur layin fish oot flat abön da shörmal, an oyster plants crug for running over, for laying fish out flat bluey-purple snug among the stones. bluey-purple snug among da stanes. ta dry. A yoal, weel shoarded, lies abön to dry. A yole, well propped up, lies above da beach, a dab o red; sib tae aa the beach, a dab of red: related to all Dey aedge da art dat’s wirkit bi da sea: They edge the art that’s worked by the sea: sights and sounds, constancy and change. da boats at wid a fished fae here. Noo sichts an soonds, constancy an change. the boats that would have fished from here. Now If you could but bottle all this beauty, shjaldurs is da only life ithin da böds; If you could but bottle aa dis beauty, oystercatchers are the only life in the bothies: a antrin stirleen paeks athin da stanes. an occasional starling pecks between the stones. or dry it, hang it up above the fireplace, then or dry hit, hing hit on da raep, dan sell it to a thirsty and a starving world, sell hit tae a tristy an a fantin wirld, o o you'd be more than rich, and they'd be you’d be möld rich, and dey’d be sained. blessed.

o o o o o o

14 Booking form Please complete one form per person and return to GlobalYell Ltd, 4 Sellafirth, Yell, Shetland Isles ZE2 9DF

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