1 2 Contacts: Museums Museum and Archives: Hay’s Dock, , and Heritage Tel: 01595 695057 Unst Heritage Centre: , Tel: 01957 711528 Centres 3 Unst Boat Haven: Haroldswick Yell Fetlar Interpretive Centre: Houbie, Fetlar, Tel: 01957 733206 Old Haa: Burravoe, Yell, Tel: 01957 722339 4 5 Tangwick Haa: Tangwick, Eshaness, Tel: 01806 503389 Island treasures The Cabin: Wirlie, , Tel: 01806 577243 Midden Court: , Whalsay 6 8 Böd: Symbister, Whalsay 7 Böd of Gremista: Gremista, Lerwick, Tel: 01595 694386 Mainland Heritage Centre: Leiraness, Bressay, Tel: 01595 820750 Up-Helly-Aa Exhibition: Galley Shed, St Sunniva Street, Lerwick 10 Bressay Shetland Family 12 11 9 13 History Society: 6 Hillhead, Lerwick 14 Shetland Croft Trail: Burland, Trondra Burra 1 Unst Heritage Centre 15 Easthouse: Duncansclate, Burra 2 Unst Boat Haven Museum: Main Street, Scalloway 16 3 Fetlar Interpretive Centre 17 Sandsayre Interpretive 4 Old Haa Centre: Leebitton, Sandwick 5 Tangwick Haa 18 Hoswick Visitor Centre: Hoswick, Sandwick, 19 6 The Cabin Tel: 01950 431406 7 Midden Court Crofthouse Museum: Voe, , Tel 01950 460557 8 Bremen Böd Quendale Water Mill: Quendale, Dunrossness, Tel: 01950 460969 9 Bressay Heritage Centre George Waterston 10 Böd of Gremista Memorial Centre: , Tel 01595 760244 11 Shetland Museum and Archives Shetland Museum and Archives is open throughout the year, 12 Exhibition while most other Museums and Heritage Centres are seasonal 13 Scalloway Museum opening May to Sep. Check current opening hours with Fair Isle 14 Shetland Croft Trail 20 VisitShetland, Tel 08701 999440 15 Easthouse 16 Sandsayre Interpretive Centre 17 Hoswick Visitor Centre 18 Crofthouse Museum 19 Quendale Water Mill

20 George Waterston Contents copyright protected - please contact Shetland Amenity Trust for details. Memorial Centre Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the contents are accurate, the funding partners do not accept responsibility for any errors in this leaflet.

Shetland has an extremely rich and diverse cultural heritage. This is something which Shetlanders, both native and adopted, are immensely proud of. Our fascination for cultural and natural heritage is apparent in the extensive

network of local history groups, visitor Shetland Bus display at Scalloway Museum centres and community museums which exist throughout Shetland, and their rich Customs and Folklore displays in Shetland Museum and Archives collections of treasures - musical, written, The most famous Shetland treasure is the St Ninian’s Scalloway Museum has an interesting display telling objects and photographs. Isle Pictish treasure, discovered during excavations in the story of the Shetland Bus operation, when 1958. The Museum of Norwegian freedom fighters carried out their own war in against the occupying German forces. It tells about the This network, driven by enthusiastic volunteers and displays the originals, but part Shetland played in this war through photographs, supported by Shetland Amenity Trust, is an extremely high quality replicas can be artefacts and interpretive panels. valuable resource, which is actively engaged in seen in the Shetland The Old Haa at Burravoe in Yell tells a remarkable preserving the past and recording the present for Museum and Archives story about the wreck of the future generations. along with carved pillar Bohus, a three-masted German Replicas of St Ninians stones and other items barque, which was wrecked on The Shetland Museum and Archives, situated on the Isle Pictish treasure from the excavation. East Yell in 1924. Not only can restored Hay’s Dock in Lerwick, is the best place to set However, the real treasures of Shetland are to be out on your voyage of discovery to learn about you see artefacts from the found in the islands, their people and the collections wreck but you can look at Shetland’s three billion year old history. Here you will they care for. discover the story of Shetland from its fiery birth, photographs and listen to tape Brucie Henderson’s curiosity cabinet describing the influence of its inhabitants on the The Cabin at the Wirlie, Vidlin is full to the roof of recordings by local people of the landscape, their lifestyle, technology, architecture, art, mementoes, artefacts, photographs and curios from event. Of the many treasures held within the Old Haa, folklore and music. The new facility also incorporates Shetland’s long maritime past. Of particular local Brucie Henderson of Erisdale’s Victorian curiosity Shetland Archives with excellent research facilities to interest is the Sea Gallantry medal presented to local cabinet, must surely create the most discussion. Do explore the large collection of written, photographic men who rescued the crew of the Trawler Rapid in you believe in the ‘great underground cavern at and oral archives. 1912. Many memories of wars are also held within the Erisdale’? walls of the Cabin.

Shetland Museum and Archives Boat Hall Old Haa, Burravoe, Yell Böd of Gremista Knitwear on display at the Former flitboat and interpretation at Sandsayre, Sandwick

Fetlar Interpretive Centre

Crofthouse Museum at Voe, Dunrossness

You get a great feeling for early life in a Shetland The Böd of Gremista, famous as the birthplace of Another story of Shetland maritime past crofthouse at the Crofthouse Museum, Dunrossness. Arthur Anderson co-founder of the P & O shipping can be seen in the Bremen Böd at This restored thatched crofthouse and watermill are line, displays examples of almost all of Symbister. This restored Böd tells the as it would have looked in the 1890’s. If the smell of Shetland’s homemade furniture. This 18th story of Shetland’s long trading link with the peat smoke is too much for your nose, then take a century fishing booth was restored back to German merchants. However if its sniff of the reest or salt fish, the custodians often dry original and has been fitted out with burning boats you are after, then you above the fire. Have a go at setting the moose faa contemporary furniture and fittings. must visit the Up Helly Aa exhibition in while you are there – a very effective trap! The Böd is also home to the Shetland Lerwick and see the full size replica of While at the South end of Textile Working Museum which gives the galley which is burnt every year. Shetland, why not compare a fascinating insight into the world of Most Museums in Shetland cannot be as the mill at the Crofthouse knitting, spinning and weaving which collection specific as the Bremen Museum with the Quendale is such an important part of Böd. They have to try The Up Helly Aa Water Mill. The mill was built Shetland’s heritage. and display artefacts exhibition celebrates the great annual in 1867 to handle the grain Handmade chair in If it’s the high-life you are after then that give the fire festival from the Quendale Estate, but the Böd of Gremista pay a visit to the Fetlar Interpretive complete picture of it also ground grain for Island Life. Quendale Water Mill Centre with its excellent interactive crofters from a very wide multi-media displays and photographic exhibitions of Some Interpretative Centres surrounding area. The mill still operates in winter island life. Whether you are interested in wildlife, change their complete and a video of the workings can be viewed in the archaeology or Shetland culture, be sure to leave displays yearly concentrating Bremen Böd at Symbister attached centre. Imagine the smell and dust when enough time to take in the wealth of activities. See the on different subjects, the mill was working at full capacity. award-winning exhibition on the life of Sir William encouraging repeat visits and collating much sought To complete the croft experience, visit the Shetland Watson Cheyne, the Fetlar surgeon who worked with after information. Croft Trail at Burland, Trondra. This is a wonderful Lord Lister on the development of antiseptic surgery, The Bressay Heritage Centre is one such centre, which place for children to see old Shetland breeds of and browse through important photographic not only displays artefacts borrowed from the local livestock and learn about crofting history and collections dating back over 100 years. If you are community for specific exhibitions, but is also used traditional crafts such as boatbuilding. interested in folklore, this is the place to be for regularly for slide shows, talks, night classes and Fires and fireplaces are a recurring theme in storytelling recordings. meetings. And like all of the community museums has Shetland Museums and Heritage Centres. Maybe it’s Lairds and their lives are extensive archives of photographs, tape recordings, because so much of life revolved around the fire, highlighted in the local stories and records. Outside the Centre is a either cooking on it, keeping Tangwick Haa Museum. reconstructed Bronze Age burnt mound which was warm during the long winter days In fact the museum its moved from its orignal location and nights, or the storytelling, self is a restored Lairds in a unique community project which occupied the residents. house built in the late to protect it from erosion by The most northerly fireplace is to 17th century. One can the sea. be found in the Unst Heritage imagine the grandeur of Another centre worth a visit is Centre at Haroldswick. The the house and its Tangwick Haa the Hoswick Visitor Centre Centre is also famous for its fine inhabitants when you where as well as learning lace and you don’t need to look look at the 1840 wedding dress belonging to the wife about the local area, you can close to appreciate the delicate of one of the lairds. Crown Derby china dated from the see part of a large collection of work involved. Even more same date and belonging to the last resident laird, radios owned by a local astounding when you consider Unst Heritage Centre adds to the picture. But life was not always cups of tea collector. Staying in Sandwick that the knitter did not have the and weddings for the museum also tells of the story of the Sandsayre boats sheds Tune in to your benefits of modern lighting and it was all created the Stenness and Fethaland Haaf stations and the include historical, cultural and favourite station at without patterns! Here you can also find out about the hardship faced by the men who fished with small open environmental displays. Hoswick Visitor Centre exciting Viking Unst project. boats from them. Old buildings have been carefully restored to provide Shetland Fair Isle and patterned knitting are perhaps But for boats you must go to premises for some History Groups such as Midden one of Shetland’s best-known art forms. At the the Unst Boat Haven where Court in Whalsay and Easthouse in Burra. Like the George Waterston Memorial Centre on Fair Isle there you can see examples of Bressay Heritage Centre, they combine work and are panels of knitting patterns representing the boats illustrating open boat meeting areas with permanent and specific displays. hundreds of designs kept in the minds of generations development not just in There are also many other community groups of women. Shetland, but also in the throughout the islands which meet in a village hall or The sea again features strongly in the North Atlantic. You only need school to discuss and record their history. Some of collections of the George Waterston to compare the lines of the these such as Nesting and have their Memorial Centre. Look for the well-made Faroese boat with that of the own premises for meeting in and also open to the and practical chairs made from driftwood Ness to see that they public for occasional displays.These History Groups and straw, a style unique in Shetland – if In the days of the Haaf come from the same have an extensive knowledge of Shetlanders fishing, fishermen ancestory. only we could hear some of the stories that would check this genealogical past, but if it is genealogy you are after have been told from such seats. A china barometer hung outside The museum also houses a and you have a desire to trace your long-lost Shetland doll’s head brings us back to reality in the Haroldswick Shop vast collection of associated ancestor then you must visit the Shetland Family before setting out to sea Fair Isle knitwear understanding the danger of the sea. This maritime artefacts from History Society on the Hillhead in Lerwick. was from the wreck of the Lessing in 1867 the scene Shetland’s long association And so we come full circle on Shetland treasures. of a daring and successful rescue. with the sea and the industries it supports. However it There are many treasures to be found but perhaps the is the boats and the stories behind them, which best treasures are in the people themselves and the attract most attention. Imagine being on the Holm custodians and volunteers who faithfully man the Boat on the night of the storm in 1887 and the grim Museums and Heritage Centres throughout the year. procession home with the body of your skipper.

Easthouse, Burra

Quendale Water Mill Unst Boat Haven