• A painting - "Driving Bottle Nosed Whales - Shetland 1891" - by R.H. Carter. A whale hunt was an exciting event, and islanders shared the valuable oil and meat.
  • A silver tobacco box with detailed engraving showing a windmill in the centre, retrieved from the wreck of a Dutch East-Indianman which sank in 1664.
  • The warm current around Shetland can bring unexpected visitors like this giant Leatherback Turtle.

Harvest from the Sea

Passing through the Harvest from the Sea zone you’ll discover the many resources provided by the sea.  The sea prevented starvation, and islanders ate many kinds of fish and shellfish, each having its own specialised method to catch them.  You also find out what seaweed and driftwood were used for, and why whales and birds were hunted. 

This zone explains how Shetland life benefited from German and Dutch mariners, and you will see the kind of things which were traded between the islanders and these mariners.

Themes include: The seas rich habitat, resources provided by the sea, methods of catching fish, Shetland’s trading links.

Highlights include:

  • A cast of a leatherback turtle – brought to Shetland by the North Atlantic drift, it was found off Yell in 2000.
  • A sprul – a classic Shetland fishing line.
  • Ship’s equipment and trade goods from the Dutch ship Kennemerland, which was wrecked in 1664.

 


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