Shetland Museum & Archives

‘The Arthurs’

A feature exhibition exploring Shetland surnames Arthur and Arthurson is now on display at the Shetland Museum and Archives. The collaboration between the Shetland Family History Society and the Museum and Archives is part of the society’s ‘Sharing Shetland Surnames’ project. Each year they collaborate on a feature exhibition with past years focussing on Shetland surnames Abernethy, Goudie and Robertson.

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Welcome

to Shetland Museum and Archives

Our Five Star, award winning Museum and Archives is a multifunctional visitor attraction in the heart of Shetland's capital town of Lerwick. Begin your journey through the history of our beautiful islands here, with an enjoyable and interactive visitor experience discovering our world renowned collections.

Visit Us

A warm welcome awaits you at Shetland Museum and Archives. Join us for a journey through Shetland’s past with our informative displays and interactive exhibits.

Collections

Visitors and researchers can explore the fascinating story of Shetland’s heritage and culture in one place, with access to a wealth of documents and artefacts covering all aspects of the islands' past at Shetland Museum and Archives.

Education & Research

Shetland Museum and Archives offers a comprehensive education programme, with access to workshops focussing on different areas of our collections, and outreach sessions in the community.

Online Resources

Access document and photo archives online, or download a choice of teaching resources, or visitor activitity sheets.

Community Heritage

Shetland’s heritage is researched, collected and exhibited throughout the islands by a network of local museums and heritage centres. Each museum and heritage centre in Shetland is unique, highlighting the various and changing aspects of natural and cultural heritage in each area.

Venue & Event Hire

Shetland Museum and Archives offers first class venue facilities for hire in a stunning dockside location. From conferences and meetings, to weddings or birthday parties, our versatile spaces are suitable for any event.

Photo Archive

Scotland's most extensive photo archive

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Gift Shop

Unique gifts and souvenirs with a heritage theme

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Collections

Explore the Archives and Museum Artefacts

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Events

Events and activities during your visit

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Crofthouse Museum

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Events

Events and activities during your visit

Shetland Museum and Archives are proud to offer a range of events for adults, children and famlies, covering a variety of themes throughout the year. Our own events are detailed below, or see the 'What's On' Calendar for all public events and exhibition listings for the building.

Janette Budge Knitting Workshops

31/05/2019 - 07/07/2019
Learning Room

Shetland knitwear designer and tutor Janette Budge will be offering a series of ...

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Talk by Will Miles - The World of Seabirds - Shetland and Beyond

07/07/2019
7:30pm - 9:00pm
Auditorium

A look at the world of seabirds on Shetland and further afield, including their ...

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Talk by Ian Tait - The Eagle's Last Stonghold - Shetland's guilt in a national extinction

08/07/2019
7:30pm - 9:00pm
Auditorium

Come and find out what happened to Shetland's Sea eagles.

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Talk by Brian Smith - Celebrating Walter Scott, one of Shetland's greatest naturalists

12/07/2019
1:00pm - 1:45pm
Archives Searchroom

Brian Smith will speak in the Archives searchroom about the rich botanical ...

Exhibitions

Displays, Exhibitions and Gadderie Shows

There are a number of exhibition spaces and feature display areas throughout the Museum and Archives building. The artefacts and works on display change regularly and details of our current shows are listed here.