Blog

Keep up to date with new stories and details of what our researchers are doing to preserve and promote Shetland's heritage and culture.

The Museum and Archives is managed by the Shetland Amenity Trust, a small charity caring for Shetland's natural and cultural heritage. It is free to visit the Museum and Archives and here we share our work with you through our blogs and news. Donations are welcomed to help the Trust care for the collections and our heritage both now and in the future.

The Bohemian Girl

In 1843 White’s, a firm of Quaker shipbuilders, launched a schooner, 125 tons, 104ft x 22.5ft x 12ft, the Bohemian Girl.

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Celebrating International Women's Day: Britta Laurenson

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Here Jenny ...

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Shetland Amenity Trust reopens Shetland Museum and Archives

The Shetland Amenity Trust will reopen its doors to the public at the Shetland Museum and Archives this week following careful ...

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Get Your Skates On!

The weather has changed, the temperature risen, wind and rain are back, the frosty winter fun gone. In 1909 though, one organisation ...

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A present from Lerwick?

Some artefacts are interesting for what they tell us, and others are simply nice to look at. Here's one that's both. On the face of ...

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Why hunt whales?

Pilot whales were important to islanders’ survival, providing many useful products. Subsistence whaling was unpredictable, because ...

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St Sunniva's Tableware

The pandemic meant no cruise liners came to Lerwick, but not many Shetlanders realise that an important one lies on the seabed at ...

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Winter Sports

We’ve had a fine spell of weather of late, snowy, frosty, crispy. Out for a walk one day I was told someone had been spotted skiing, ...

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Northwest Passage

On the 26th of June 1576, three ships anchored near St Ninian’s Isle. These were the Gabriel, a twenty-five tonne barque, the ...

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Why hunt fowl?

As part of the Between Islands project, Shetland’s new online exhibition, ‘Fair Game’ examines three customs that are now ...

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Missing Crowds

Today is the last Tuesday in January and would traditionally be Up Helly Aa day 2021. This is a much anticipated date for many ...

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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 ...

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The Shetland Archives - behind the searchroom

In the Shetland archives, we are lucky to have an enormous collection of our recent-forebears on tape. There are recordings of men and ...

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'Fair Game’ a major new online exhibition launched as part of the Between Islands project

The project highlights the historical cultural links between the islands of Shetland, Orkney, and the Outer Hebrides, while exploring ...

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Museum and Archives to remain closed

Shetland Museum and Archives will remain closed to the public after the festive period due to the latest advice from NHS Shetland on ...

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