Brian Smith
Archivist at the Shetland Museum and Archives
Articles written by Brian Smith
The real story behind the Shetland wulver
In recent years there has been a lot of discussion about the ‘wulver’, Shetland’s ‘kind and generous werewolf’, as someone ...
Read more
Witchcraft in Shetland
Between around 1615 and 1680 Shetland was afflicted by a mania that was disturbing other parts of Europe. Ordinary Shetlanders and ...
Read more
The Man Behind the Lowrie Stories
Sometime in the 1920s a middle-aged businessman in Lerwick began to write stories. He didn’t write about his native town. The hero ...
Read more
Up Helly Aa has a most interesting history
With the cancellation of Up Helly Aa there will be no torchlit procession, galley burning or all night partying this year. These ...
Read more
Peter and Olla
Archivist Brian Smith retells the story of cousins Peter and Olla, two very different characters, who met one notable New Year's eve. ...
Read more
James A Teit: Tackling racism in the late 1800's
In December 1883, Lerwick Man James Teit emigrated to Canada where he lived and worked with indigenous communities, listening and ...
Read more
The adventures of Ninian Neven
Archivist Brian Smith delves into the incredible story of his ten-times great grandfather the accomplished and unruly Ninian Neven. ...
Read more
Da Croon o Da Ura
One of Shetland’s more remarkable archaeological sites is Da Croon o Da Ura, in Unst, just about the most northerly part of the ...
Read more