Textile Discoveries 2018

GLOBALYELL LTD 3&4 SELLAFIRTH, YELL ZE2 9DG TEL: +44 (0)1957 744 355. EMAIL: [email protected] Shetland Textile Discoveries

2018 touring dates May 9th to 12th June 13th to 16th July 11th to 14th Aug 8th to 11th Sept 12th to 15th

The pleasure of finding something new. Join us for a small group tour of Shetland, finding out the history and heritage of textiles, and taking in some of the beautiful scenery, in a place which only a few ever get to visit... ARRIVING IN SHETLAND

• TEXTILE DISCOVERIES • Arriving in Shetland • Getting to Shetland

There are a few ways to get to the islands and more Introduction information can be found at visit.shetland.org or on the harbour. Visit site at The first day on any new adventure is always exciting www.visitscotland.com and it is lovely to share it with others. We will arrange The town is easily walkable, although, if you are heading transport from the airport or ferry to your accommodation further out of town, taxis are available from the Victoria Flights are operated by Flybe to settle in before we start the tour and this year we are Pier. There is a ferry across the island of Bressay from as a codeshare with British starting the evening before with a meal so that we can the town centre, and this is a good way to see Lerwick, Airways and Loganair get to know each other a little better. giving you a different view of how the capital has grown. although this may change in A walk along the harbour front past the Lodberries 2018. Please check the above The tour will take in Lerwick but there is so much to curves gently around the base of the hill around which websites for up to date see that there simply is not time to do it all. Here are information. If you are Lerwick has grown, and onto the Knab. Have a look at some of the things we aren’t scheduled to do on the flying from elsewhere into the fine Victorian building that is currently the High tour but which you may enjoy doing if you come up Aberdeen, Edinburgh or School (the new school will be opened in the Autumn of early or stay later than our tour dates. Glasgow before coming up to 2017) as you go past, and a little further on, on the Shetland, check prices on a The main settlement in Shetland and the capital of the grassy Knab, you will be able to see emplacements for ticket all the way through islands, Lerwick is where the majority of the shops and guns that guarded the harbour entrance during the War. from your chosen airline. outlets are. A walk along Commercial Street, “Da Street” The town cemetery is on the Knab, and there is a path Flights arrive in Sumburgh in dialect, and into the Lodberries takes you past yarn at the south end of Shetland. that meanders along the cliff tops before going down to shops, knitwear outlets and galleries, while the charity meet the shoreline at the south end of town. shops can turn up unexpected bargains such as knitting The ferry is a good way to see belts or, occasionally, jumper boards. The Lodberries is the islands in the summer In the town centre months. You can book onto the oldest part of Lerwick, the name meaning houses Northlink at and stores with their own piers, originally built so that Visit Vaila Fine Art where fine organic blankets from the www.northlinkferries.co.uk goods could be unloaded privately owned island of Vaila are sold, and Jamieson’s directly from boats in the Spinning shop for yarns, Bring your walking boots, a raincoat and a jumper. The weather is always fun in Shetland!

3 knitwear and blankets. Have a look at Ninian where local designers sell visitors to see the collection and to speak about textiles with the volunteers knitwear and woven fabrics, and open the drawers in Anderson & Co to see who run the organisation. Both of these are stops on the tour too. knitwear from local makers. Aurora is another shop which has woven and knitted pieces for sale, and for interesting books about Shetland go into the Eating out Shetland Times bookshop. The town has a few restaurants and eateries. Try Hay’s Dock Restaurant in Further out, the has the Museum, or The Fort Cafe for fish and chips. a fine collection of textiles, with pull- There are other places to eat as well which you will out drawers of lace knitting and Fair One tour day is spent in Lerwick, exploring the find as you explore Lerwick. Good coffee can be Isle, and art featuring the textiles of town and its textiles. If you are out and about, bought at Mareel, the Shetland Museum and at the islands.This is one of the stops on go into the Museum (entrance is free), make Peerie Shop Cafe in town. the tour but it is worth visiting more than once! In the Museum are your way upstairs and pull open the drawers in displays of weave including the the textiles displays. There are some Shetland dialect famous Adies of Voe collection, and astonishing things to find... You may not hear much dialect on “Da Street” but it equipment showing the various stages is an intriguing and wonderful experience to hear of manufacture. Opposite, Mareel, the someone speak with the accent, using words that cinema and music venue features lace simply do not exist in English. For starters, try knitting as patterns of light on the walls. peerie, said “pi” as in piquant, and “ree” as in “real”. Peerie means small. If you are an avid walker, it is worth going the other way, past the Tesco There is a fantastically rich dictionary of dialect which is very hard to find, but supermarket and along the shore. This area of Lerwick has some fine old smaller dictionaries are available at Shetland Times bookshop. 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 Whalsay. 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 Shetland is home to many beautiful and colourful flowers, including three Sooth Aeshaness is particular to one area of Shetland but the three poems species of orchid. The flowers tend to be small and hug the ground to escape together are wonderful evocations of how the landscape affects people and the winds that blow across the land, but there are so many in some months of the art of the islands. There is a translation of the poem at the end of the the year, that they colour the hills. It is worth having a close look at them and booklet. We would like to thank Christine for allowing us to make use of her the wonderful shades that nature boldly puts together. beautiful poem.

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

4 THE BEGINNING OF OUR TOUR

Our tours are small - eight people maximum - and we like to think that we are in the business of making friends while we show off our beautiful island home. What better way to do this than with a meal? We meet up for our first night at the Scalloway Hotel, an award-winning restaurant specialising in food from the isles.

During the tour we eat in various places such as Frankies’ Fish and Chips, another award-winning eaterie with fantastically fresh seafood, or find one of the pop-up cafes which Shetland specialises in for some soup, sandwiches and cakes, which we call “fancies” and which are always a much anticipated part of each tour. We make sure that vegetarians are catered for, and vegans too if we have notice. If you have any other dietary requirements please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate them.

We will try to have a picnic at least once during the tour. It is always an adventure eating outdoors in Shetland so if the weather is simply not co-operating we will have an indoor picnic. Fingers crossed for a good day! • DAY ONE •

HOSWICK AND LERWICK

Hoswick is a centre of textiles production, continuing a centuries-old tradition of knitwear and weave. A bite to eat at what was once the weaving mill, and then it is back to Lerwick for a visit to the Textile Museum and Jamieson and Smith, the Wool Brokers. Driving down to Hoswick is quick normally but it The final stop for the day is to have something to eat while The itinerary always takes us a while because we keep stopping to we watch the harbour entrance to Lerwick. There is always look at the scenery and chat about the history and something to see, 9 am - Leave geology of the islands. whether it is fishing accommodation and boats coming in or head down to Hoswick is historically important for the production of the ferry going out Sandwick, a centre for textiles and it is enjoying a revival, especially in knitwear. carrying people and textiles production. Laurence Odie Knitwear is a well-established company goods to Aberdeen. making jumpers for export across the globe while Neila Nel 11:30 am - coffee is a knitwear designer with a fascinating take on her followed by lunch unique pieces. lunch at Hoswick Visitor Centre. Nearby the Hoswick Cafe showcases some of the old looms that used to operate in the factory building and there 2pm - Shetland Textile are displays alongside the tweeds that were made in Museum. Hoswick. We will stop here for refreshments and lunch before heading back to Lerwick for the afternoon. 3pm - Jamieson and Smith, the Wool The Shetland Textile Museum is housed in the Bod of Blendin Brokers. Gremista which has a tale of its own to tell, and each year colours showcases a different aspect of Shetland’s textile heritage. Nae winder Stenness is da name here: 5:30 pm - Dinner in There is a knowledgeable guide and volunteers on hand to ness o stane. Der iverywye you luik Lerwick overlooking speak to us about knitting or the traditions in the isles. the South Mouth of the some aert-fast, some lang vaeged. harbour. Jamieson and Smith is the Wool Broker in Shetland where Fae da broo da beach is fawn, but the majority of the Shetland wool clip is bought to be clos up, der mair colours i da stanes processed in England into yarns, tops and suchlike. We as in a shade caird or i da fleeces will see how the process of sorting and grading the fleece happens and then spend time in the shop, once a church o Nortmaven yowes: emsket, shaela, and now full of colour, patterns and ideas for knitters, moorit - dere, ithin da ebb-stanes weavers and felters. ithin time’s meld o minerals, milled

7 • DAY TWO •

WESTSIDE AND NORTH MAINLAND

The Westside of Shetland and North Mainland have some spectacular scenery and some surprising connections with textiles. The Westside and North Mainland are very different to that the poem in this brochure describes. each other, but each has a unique textile aspect. The itinerary Our final stop is Tangwick Haa, formerly a family home and On the Westside Jamieson’s Mill is the only spinning mill in now a Museum dedicated to the area. Each year the 9:30 am - leave our the islands. Here the process of washing, dyeing, spinning, displays change but there are some perennial favourites, accommodation and and finally, knitting and weaving takes place. We will try to such as a beautiful wedding dress, on display. head across the island book a place on their tour but this is not always possible to the Westside because of demand. We will however get to the shop in The day will be rounded off by a visit to Frankies’ Fish and stopping along the Lerwick to see the range of yarns and colours that the Mill Chips for a meal of their famously fresh seafood, and then way for a look at the makes, and to see some of the tweeds they produce, and home to our accommodation. vista of islands. we will also visit the factory shop on the Westside.

11:00 Head The journey onward takes us through the village of Walls northwards, stopping ‘Waas’ in dialect, and then north through Aith to Voe which at Voe before going on is where Adies, a company which had diverse interests to Breiwick Cafe for including weaving, was based. Adies sadly is no longer but lunch. the fabrics made there can still be seen in the Shetland Museum and Archives. Spend the afternoon bi tirl o tide an boo o wadder, till exploring the North Further north we go through Brae and then on to ivery stane is different. Der markit including Eshaness . Here the geology of the islands changes and lik lambs ithin a flock book: marlit, cliffs and Stenness. we will stop to have a look at the explanation boards at fleckit, kraigit, sholmit, brandit and Dinner at Frankies , the shortest some wi muckle colour patches at before returning distance across land could be ca’ed bersuggit. Der stanes home.. between the seas which surround Shetland. (A visit to Jamieson’s fur rinning owre, fur layin fish oot flat ta dry. A yoal, weel shoarded, lies abön Spinning Mill is on The Breiwick Cafe for lunch da beach, a dab o red; sib tae aa the cards for today will be followed by a walk but this is a working along the cliffs of Eshaness da boats at wid a fished fae here. Noo mill and it is not and another on the beach at shjaldurs is da only life ithin da böds; always possible to see Stenness, which is the area inside.) a antrin stirleen paeks athin da stanes.

9 • DAY THREE • THE

The North Isles of the Shetland archipelago are full of colour with inspiration for anyone, and Yell is home to GlobalYell’s weave studio amongst other galleries and studios. is known for fine lace knitting and we will see some Victorian pieces on display while we view this most northerly part of Shetland. The North Isles of Shetland comprise of Yell, Unst experience; while the men went away to fish, women The itinerary and , linked to each other and the Mainland were involved in knitting to make some money for their by ferries. Our textiles exploration continues for a families. 9:00 am - leave look at the delicate and beautiful lace knitting in Unst has some very beautiful beaches, and we may be accommodation and Unst, which became famous during the reign of able to go for a walk on the most northerly of those. head to Yell. A ferry Queen Victoria... Unst was also home to the RAF for decades and, crossing is required dotted here and there among the and takes twenty Yell is a peat covered island with three heather-clad hills, remnants can be minutes. Watch out for main settlements, in the seen of the busy camps that existed. orca and porpoises! south, in the centre and Some of these buildings are very Stop at the island’s in the north. Our route will atmospheric and evocative, reminders museum and Mary’s take us along the east road of the of the different lives that have filled the Shop. island to Burravoe where we will visit history of the islands. the which is full of 12:35 pm - Ferry interesting and unusual artefacts from Settin pattrens crossing to Unst for the lives of islanders. Each summer, I da run waas der barely a door lunch then a look at temporary exhibitions are held in the or window left but, dere, ram-stam, the lace knitting at the Old Haa and there is a chance for home-baked cake Returning to Yell da Dore Holm oppens on da sneck Heritage Centre, and a and tea in the small cafe here. we will once walk on the white sand again stop at the wider as I geng, an Fiorda Taing beach. Mid Yell lies along a voe, an inlet from the sea, and has weave studio for hes a window tae da ocean flör. a sheltered harbour which has led to its growth as the our evening Lift your een, an you could swear 5:55 pm - head back to main settlement of the island. Between Burravoe and meal, and spend Yell to GlobalYell’s Mid Yell, the White Wife, a figurehead from a German some time Da Drongs wis a uncan langship weave studio for ship, the Bohus, that sank in the area in 1924, looks relaxing before wi Jarl skipper skilin fae atween dinner, and then head across the sea. We will pay a quick visit to our own going back to the a squaresail an da blackest prow. back to the Mainland contemporary weave studio and the Shetland Gallery Mainland for the for the night. in Sellafirth before going to the ferry. night. Walkin farder on, he sterts ta sink ta Urafirt. He nivver med hit shurely Heading across to Unst, after lunch at Victoria’s Tea an battles still fornenst da tidal rip. Rooms we will see lace knitting at the Heritage Centre where there are beautiful displays of the craft, and nearby, the Boat Haven is a unique and evocative

11 • DAY FOUR • LERWICK, SOUTH MAINLAND AND SCALLOWAY

The last day of the tour takes in the Shetland Museum with its textiles displays, Sumburgh and the Stevenson lighthouse and the Croft House Museum. We will picnic beside the tombolo at St Ninians Isle, and finish up with our final evening meal at Scalloway. Our final day of the tour takes in some of the most The itinerary spectacular scenery in the islands before we end with After we have eaten we will go right down to the south 9:45 am - leave our our final evening meal. where we will have tea and coffee at Sumburgh accommodation and Lighthouse. We are going to look for puffins and other Today we drive into Lerwick to spend time at the Shetland go to Lerwick for the seabirds in the season (June to August) before we drive Museum with its displays and knowledgeable staff. While north to the Croft House Museum to see how life used to Shetland Museum. you are in the Museum, pull open the drawers and sliders be in these islands. Shopping after the to see art pieces and some very fine lace knitting. Museum visit. Our last stop of the tour is to see the Shetland ponies at Following your visit there is time to stroll along the main 12:30 - St Ninians Carol’s Ponies in Scalloway. These endearing creatures shopping street of Lerwick to see the shops and pick up Isle for a picnic. are sadly declining in number nowadays but they have a some last-minute purchases, then we head onto St fascinating history including a link to knitting! We will get Explore the South Ninians Isle. to see them up close and personal and meet Carol who Mainland, Sumburgh will talk to us about the history of the ponies. The island is joined to the Mainland by a tombolo, a Head and The Croft natural beach of sand. You are free to walk along the House Museum. Our last meal together is once again at Scalloway Hotel tombolo while lunch is made ready. where we will have a chance to reminisce and remember Drive back to all the things we have done on our tour of the islands. Castin aff Scalloway to visit Aroond da ness, blue squill drifts tick Carol’s Ponies and abön da shörmal, an oyster plants crug finish with our bluey-purple snug among da stanes. evening meal at Scalloway Hotel. Dey aedge da art dat’s wirkit bi da sea: sichts an soonds, constancy an change. If you could but bottle aa dis beauty,

or dry hit, hing hit on da raep, dan sell hit tae a tristy an a fantin wirld, you’d be möld rich, and dey’d be sained.

13 •• THE DETAILS The tour costs £975 for four days and five nights. You can email us to book or use There is a minimum number of four people to run these tours to this itinerary. If we the booking form overleaf to make your booking, and send us a deposit of £195, have fewer, the tour will still run but the itinerary will be amended. Don’t worry! You 20% of the total cost. You can send us your deposit by Paypal, bank transfer or will still see lots... cheque and we will raise an invoice by Paypal for that. The deposit is guarantee of your place and the remainder is payable by credit or debit card, cash or cheque, six We reserve the right to make changes to the tour, and similarly encourage our weeks before the tour date. The deposit is refundable in full if cancellation is made visitors to ask about places they specifically want to see. We will try our best to ten weeks prior to the start of the tour and 50% refundable up until six weeks before accommodate requests. the start. After that, no refund can be given and the full amount for each place on the tour is payable unless there are special circumstances. Any and all deposits are GlobalYell has public liability insurance and is also covered by Jamieson’s Coaches held in a Santander bank account and guaranteed against financial failure. from whom we hire the transport. We strongly advise that you also take out your own travel insurance before travelling for peace of The tour lasts 4 days and your accommodation in bed mind. and breakfast for five nights is included. We begin touring on the date advertised but the first meal is the We take our responsibility for everyone’s safety previous night, i.e. May touring starts on the 9th but we seriously and visit all the all the places we go to will meet for supper on the 8th. This meal is included in beforehand to try to safeguard you while you are with the price, as is accommodation for that night. The us. However, please take care when walking around touring ends on the day before that advertised, ie. May and visiting; the textile industry in Shetland is alive and touring ends on the night of the 12th but as breakfast is well and that means machines, yarns, heat and steam. included it will be the morning of the 13th that we finish our time with you. We will arrange to pick you up and take you to your accommodation on arrival. At the end of the tour, we will Please ask if you would like us to book extra nights for arrange to pick you up and take you back to your you at your accommodation. You can also book any transport. Please advise us of your dates of travel so extra nights yourself, Please speak to us to find out that we can arrange transport. where you are staying. Please advise of any special requirements; mobility, dietary, medical or anything We will provide all meals on the tour and wine is included in the evening meal price. else we should be aware of. It helps us to plan and makes things easier if we know That means we will provide five evening meals and four lunches plus refreshments beforehand. Thank you! along the way. Breakfast is included with the accommodation. We are looking forward to welcoming you to our beautiful islands. 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 Northmavine 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

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

Name Address

Postcode Country I enclose a deposit of £195, twenty percent of the total of £975. We will send you a Paypal invoice and you can pay by Paypal, cheque Contact telephone number or bank transfer. Please make cheques payable to GlobalYell Ltd. Email address For those paying by BACS or other bank transfer, GlobalYell’s bank Do you have any special diet needs? details are:- Santander bank account. Number: 69743087 Sortcode: 09 01 55. Which tour are you coming on? For international payments, you will need to use this identifier: May, June, July, August, September. ABBYGB2L.

What date do you arrive in Shetland? ______Signature: What date do you leave the islands? ______

How are you getting to and from Shetland? Date:

By air Flight number Please sign and date this form, and send it back to: By ferry GlobalYell Ltd Other (please explain) ______4 Sellafirth, Yell, Shetland Isles ZE2 9DG

Do you have any medical conditions or allergies that we need to be You can email the form back but please make sure we have a aware of? signature on it. Your place is not guaranteed until we receive your deposit. Our email address is [email protected]. Anything else you would like us to know? 16