February 28, 2025

Shetland (S6.09)

2 hours 4 minutes

Audio: Shetland

In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast we’ll be talking about Shetland, a group of about 100 islands, fewer than 20 of them inhabited, in Scotland, 210 km (130 miles) north of the Scottish mainland, at the northern extremity of the United Kingdom, around 340km or 210 miles from Norway. The islands total around 1,500 km2 (or 560 sq mi), making them similar in size to the nearby Faroe Islands [recommend listening to this past episode], American Samoa or Gran Canaria.

Among the settlements on Mainland, the largest island, is Scalloway, a fishing port. Lerwick, also on Mainland, is the islands’ largest town and commercial and administrative centre. The early history of the islands is dominated by the influence of the Vikings, who settled here in the 9th Century. From the 14th century, it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Scotland, and later into the United Kingdom. The climate is generally windy, cloudy and often wet, with rain falling on more than 250 days a year, and average low temperatures a little above 1 °C (34 °F) in winter and around 14 °C (57 °F) in summer.

Shetland is as far north as St Petersburg, Russia, or Anchorage, Alaska, which makes the islands an ideal place to watch the northern lights, or as they’re known locally the ‘mirrie dancers’ while in summer there is almost perpetual daylight, a state of affairs known locally as the “simmer dim”.

We had a guest on the podcast this episode, local writer, tour-guide and podcasters Laurie Goodlad, who can be found on shetlandwithlaurie.com. Thanks to Laurie for her great contributions to helping us understand Shetland, only a fraction of which is included in the episode – if you’ve fallen in love with Shetland, much more can be found in her blog and podcast episodes.

Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Wexford, Ireland, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in Toronto, Canada, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Dublin, Ireland. Our theme music and other stings come from Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella.

A Shetland pony photographed by Ronnie Robertson (CC-BY)

The Prince of Wales set off a trend of Fair Isle jumpers, part of a general inter-war Northern Isles boost in knitting and garment industry

Some further reading material is provided below:

Some websites that give an overview of Shetland history include Historic-UK.com, ShetlandHistory.com, Shetland Museum and Archive‘s site and the article in Britannica

More specifically on archaeology and prehistory, some resources include “Discover the Ancient Secrets of Shetland” (Shetland.org), the 2006 book “Prehistoric and Viking Shetland” by Noel Fojut and our guest Laurie’s podcast episode “A Guide to Shetland’s Archaeology” (among others)

Some details on certain sites can be found elsewhere including the West Voe Midden, Stanydale Temple, Moussa Broch, the Papil Stone, and Jarlshof multi-era site

Jon Dunn, a natural history writer writes about Shetland’s trees, or lack thereof

A brief history of Shetland ponies

Takes on the viking conquest of Shetland from HistoryExplained.org and Shetland.org

BBC “In Our Time” episode on the Orkneyinga Saga, which touches on Shetland (despite focussing on the Earls of the nearby Orkneys); there is no saga specifically about Shetland

Lerwick Town Hall’s Viking-containing stained glass and more information

“How Shetland Became Part of Scotland“

Some details of late Mediaeval history during the transition from Norse to Scottish control is included in the article “‘Lords_of_Norroway’: The Shetland estate of Herdis Thorvaldsdatter” by Frans-Arne H Stylegar and “Some Forgotten Incidents and Personages in the Local History of Shetland” by Gilbert Goudie

Some details on Robert Stewart and Henry Sinclair

Eileen Brooke-Freeman (a placenames expert) writes about ‘hoidie hols’ used to escape press-ganging during the Napoleonic wars and recounts some stories, there is also some oral history recordings on Tobar an Dualchais of people recounting family stories about this time, such as George Morrison (1921-1989); Laurie also has an article on these caves

Shetland Times has an article about Thomas Johnson, ancestor of the author Louis Mackey, who tells the tale of how he was press ganged by Rear Admiral Edward Thornborough and lost his legs in a battle in the Bay of Biscay, and his life after return

Laurie’s take on the origins of the Up Helly Aa Festival, celebrating Shetland’s Viking heritage since the Victorian era

A short film has been made about Johnnie Notions, a jack of all trades who developed inoculations for smallpox

Laurie has an article on the 19th Century land clearances and the crofters’ war

Some resources for young people on Shetland in WW1 and WW2

The story of the ‘Shetland Bus’ in WW2, and BBC retrospective on the first bombs to fall in the UK during WW2 that struck Shetland

Reddit thread on what it’s like living in Shetland today

Laurie’s podcast episode on (and in) Shetland dialect; “Shetland Fir Wirds” is a website that promotes the Shetland dialect, and has lots of information

Music relevant to Shetland includes:

A collection of Shetland music played by Tom Anderson and Violet Tulloch Hand me doon the fiddle, which includes the Radio Shetland tune

Virtuoso fiddle player Willie Hunter (Composer Page on TheSession.org) playing his composition “The Cape Breton Fiddler’s Welcome To Shetland” and “Leaving Lerwick Harbour”

The Jarl Squad of “vikings” singing a traditional “Up Helly Aa” song in a shopping centre, in full guizer costume

Lerwick Brass Band and Squad perform “The Norseman’s Home”

Thanks to all our patrons who support the show. We really appreciate your continued backing of us. If you want to join them, more information is available at www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast

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By Luke Kelly, Joe Byrne, Mark Boyle

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